Another Forty Eight
by sonomom
Summary: REPOSTED: A traumatic abduction leads to the demise of one relationship and the deterioration of another.  Stephanie is left feeling off center but before she can recover, the death of an associate sends her life careening in an unforseen direction


**A/N In a misguided attempt to edit I ended up deleting the entire completed story of Another Forty-Eight. I am reposting, warts, typos and all. Thanks for the comments and requests to do so.**

**Anyone Recognizable Belongs To Janet Evanovich**

1. The Realization

The fear was gone, replaced by a drug induced sense of acceptance. I was going to die. I didn't know if they would kill me or if I would find a way to kill myself but it would soon be over. There would be no last minute rescue by Ranger or his men. Ranger and I hadn't seen each other in several months, since before he went into the wind, and Morelli was powerless to help me. The first days of my captivity were filled with panic and hysteria. Those feelings were gone with the realization and acceptance that there was no way out. Now when they came to inspect me I no longer recoiled from their prodding fingers and appraising glares. I endured them, biding my time until suddenly my time would be over. The drugs they gave me didn't stop me from thinking clearly, but they kept me from reacting. Soon I would be sold and the drugs would quit coming, and I would react in such a way I would be killed. And if I wasn't, then I would kill myself because I couldn't endure what would be expected of me.

My name is Stephanie Plum and until very recently I was a bond enforcement agent for my cousin Vinnie in Trenton, New Jersey. I was after a small time hood named Manuel Rivera when I caught the eye of Manuel's boss, and father, Jorge Rivera. Morelli had warned me to stay away from Jorge. He said there were things he knew but couldn't share with me. I didn't listen, because if Morelli was keeping secrets from me I was going to find out what he knew. In hindsight, I should have listened to him.

The day had started out like all the rest. I had been toying with the idea of moving in with Joe. Ranger had been in the wind for several months and Joe's and my relationship had benefited from his distance. I awoke to the sound of my alarm clock and rolled out of bed to face my hair and the day. It took me longer than usual to tame the wild mop and by the time I left my apartment my stomach was begging me for a trip to the Tasty Pastry.

I made the trip and was back at home with a bag of donuts in twenty minutes. My phone rang as I walked in the door. It was Joe.

"Hey," I said.

"Morning cupcake, what's on your schedule today?"

"I'm going to find Manuel Rivera," I said. "I've got a lead on him. His father has an office in the same building as Dickie. His name is Jorge Rivera and he runs an import-export business."

"Stephanie, this is important. Promise me you will stay away from Jorge Rivera. He's not the businessman you think he is."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean stay away from him. I can't go into all this on the phone but trust me on this one and stay away." Joe sounded tense. "I don't have the authority to tell you anything else, but I will tell you he's being watched by the FBI, among others. You don't want to get close to this mess."

Joe had been working a lot of late nights and early mornings. I knew he was involved in something big and I had the sense that he was involved with whoever was watching Rivera. It was amazing how many times we crossed paths professionally.

"Joe, are you working with the people who are watching Rivera?" I asked. There was silence, which answered my question.

"Steph, I've got to go. I should have a short day today. I'll bring supper to your place tonight, and we'll talk. Be careful and stay away from Rivera. I love you." He disconnected saving me from having to stutter an 'I love you' back to him. I did love him. I hadn't always. He'd been the bad boy whose dangerous reputation had excited and scared me. I'd always been attracted to him, and I'd always been irritated by him, in equal measure, which probably explained our on again off again relationship. Today I was irritated. He knew something about Jorge Rivera that might impact my finding his son and he wouldn't tell me. It left me no choice. I had to go see Jorge Rivera. I would go on the pretext of finding his son but I would keep my eyes open.

I made my way downtown to the building that housed Rivera Imports, as well as the office of Dickie Orr, my ex-husband. I stood in front of the elevator and offered a small prayer that this trip would be made without running into Dickie. I rode the elevator to the fourth floor where I entered the office of Jorge Rivera. I was surprised to find no one sitting at the reception desk. I called, "Hello. Anyone here?" A small Hispanic man walked into the reception area from an attached room.

Can I help you?" he asked.

"I'm looking for Jorge Rivera," I said.

"I am Jorge," he said, "and you are?"

"Stephanie Plum," I said extending my hand meaning to shake his. He made a shallow bow toward me and took my hand bringing it to his lips.

"I pleased to meet you Ms Plum. What can I do for you?"

"Mr. Rivera," I said, taking his cue and addressing him formally, "I am a bond enforcement agent and I'm looking for your son Manuel who is in violation of his bond agreement." I looked around suddenly aware that he and I seemed to be alone in the office. He followed my gaze.

"Ms. Plum I am afraid you have caught me at a bad time. My staff is off this week as we are doing some restructuring of the business. I run a very successful import and export business and I do not have many dealings with my son. In fact I did not even realize that he had been arrested. Do you know the charge?"

"Manuel was pulled over for routine traffic violation," I said. "The arresting officer caught a glimpse of a gun under Manuel's jacket and he didn't have a permit to carry concealed. It was a straight forward arrest and he contacted my employer Vincent Plum to write his bond. Then he missed his court appearance and I am trying to find him so that he can reschedule his court date."

"Ms. Plum, Stephanie, if I might, I am not at all close to my son and I haven't seen him for several weeks. I don't think I can be of any help to you." He looked over his shoulder for a moment and the little hairs at the back of my neck stood at attention. I thought maybe we weren't alone in the office after all. I slowly started stepping back toward the door. He reached out and grabbed my hand again.

"I'm truly sorry that I can't help you, but I'm not sorry you stopped in here today. May I comment that I've never seen eyes as beautiful as yours? They are the most incredible shade of blue. I wonder, please pardon me for being so forward, but I wonder if you would do me the honor of dining with me tonight?" My hand was still ensconced in his. His thumb was making soft little circles on the back of my hand and everything inside me said to run, so I did.

I jerked my hand away and turned and ran through the door and to the stairway not waiting on the elevator. I made it down four flights of stairs, through the lobby and out the door. I turned and saw no one following me but I kept running for another block before I pulled out my phone and called Tank.

Calling Tank was not something I did lightly or frequently so he answered with a question, "Are you all right?"

"Yes," I said feeling awkward, "I, uh, Ranger told me, before he left that I could call you if I needed something. I need some information and I was wondering if I could come up and spend some time with Rangeman's search programs."

"Yes, you can," Tank replied. "Who are you looking for? I'll have one of the guys get a head start for you."

"Thanks, but I know where the guy is, I just want to know about him. Jorge Rivera is who I want information on." There was silence on the other end of the line. "Hello, Tank…are you still there?"

"I'm here," he replied. "When you get here come to Ranger's office. I'll give you the information you want and I don't have to use a computer to find it." A few minutes later I entered the Rangeman building. I waved to the man at the security desk and made my way up to the fifth floor. Tank was waiting for me, as promised, in Ranger's office. I took a deep breath as I entered. No lingering smell of Bulgari meant that Ranger was still in the wind. I relaxed a little. Ranger had been distant even before he left and I was unsure of his response to me when he returned. We had been partners in bounty hunting, friends and lovers, and now our relationship was undefined. I didn't know where it was going and didn't want to worry about it now. I pulled my thoughts back to the present.

"What can you tell me about Jorge Rivera?" I asked Tank as I settled into a chair across the desk from him.

"I can tell you not to mess with him. Keep your distance." He said sternly.

I sighed, "You sound like Morelli."

"If Morelli tells you to stay away, listen to him." Tank said. "Rivera is a dangerous guy in normal circumstances and these days are not normal for him. Jorge Rivera is involved in many illicit activities. Recently he has discovered that he could make more money selling human beings than he could make selling drugs and he is in the process of changing his business. Drug running has given way to human trafficking and child pornography, and Morelli and the Trenton Police Department are very interested in capturing him."

"Joe said the FBI might be involved" I said. "Why is it that everyone knows what's going on. Why do you know Tank?"

"This information I am giving you, Stephanie, is to keep you safe. You must not share what I'm going to tell you with anyone, including the cop. Rangeman has access to information through many channels and we'd prefer to keep those channels unknown to the local law enforcement. I will tell you because I think Ranger would want you to know. There is a major sting operation getting ready to take place and it's being spearheaded by the FBI. Jorge Rivera is smart and powerful and the Fed's know what he is up to but they can't prove it. They have infiltrated his organization and have been collecting evidence. The whole operation is getting ready to come to a head. I know you are after his son but keep your distance from Jorge. You don't want to get caught in the crossfire. "

I had no death wish and Tank's information had convinced me to take a step back in my pursuit of Manuel Rivera. I told him so and thanked him for his information. Then striving to sound casual I asked, "Have you heard from Ranger? How much longer do you think he'll be gone?"

"I talk to Ranger every week," Tank said. "He's fine." I hoped my astonishment didn't show. I always assumed that when Ranger was in the wind he was totally incommunicado. Apparently he could contact those important to him. Something to think about.

I left the Rangeman building on Haywood and headed back to my apartment. I stepped into the foyer and pushed the elevator button. I felt a sting, like the prick of a needle on the back of my arm, and I turned to see two burly men, one on either side of me. My memory was fuzzy at best from that point on.

I had come to lying on the cot in the corner of the dirty cell I had called home for the last week. I had been kidnapped, I knew that for sure, and I knew why. I had caught the eye of Jorge Rivera and I was afraid. I didn't know if he had kidnapped me for his personal use or as a piece of property he planned to sell. Either option was unacceptable to me.

The realization that there would be no rescue came shortly after the realization that I was no longer in the United States. I didn't know where I was but I was certain that the language I had been listening to was Spanish. I was shackled to the leg of an iron bed stand that was bolted to the floor. I had enough chain attached to my leg to reach a very fundamental toilet sitting in the corner of the room. Maybe it was the drugs, because the complete lack of privacy hadn't stopped me from using it. The mattress was stained and without sheets. There was no pillow or blanket. There was a window in the corner too high for me to see out. I used it to count the passing days.

I was wearing a diaphanous white nightgown that reached my knees. It was covered with stains of indeterminate origin and I didn't think I had been the first person to wear it. Once a day my guard brought in a tray of food and a bottle of water and I ate and drank without tasting.

Every day for the past week my cell door had opened and my guard had brought a man in. A different man every day. Sometimes they lifted the nightgown and looked under it. One man grabbed my breasts and pinched my nipples. Another forced open my mouth to look at my teeth as if I was prime horse flesh and I tolerated it all without fighting back. My brain was seething with revulsion, but the drugs they were giving me made it hard to raise a hand, or even to speak. I screamed but the sound never made it past my lips. I couldn't even look away the day a small swarthy man reached out with scarred hands to lift the edge of my gown and skim his fingers up the inside of my thigh to inspect property he was interested in.

Today I'd had two more visits from the same man, and I knew my time was near. The first time he'd been accompanied by a soldier. The soldier wore green camouflage fatigues. He looked like a political cartoon caricature of a Sandinista. His gun was hanging over his back by a leather strap that crossed his chest. He had a mustache that drooped over tobacco stained, decaying teeth. The smaller man with the scarred hands stood inside the door and watched as the soldier swaggered toward me.

He stood in front of me smiling. I stared back but no expression crossed my face. He pulled the gown up and grabbed my left breast. He poked and prodded doing an uneducated breast exam. Without warning his head dropped and he bit down hard on my nipple. Pain shot through me but I remained silent. He turned to the man at the door and spoke rapidly to him in Spanish. He turned toward me and in heavily accented English said "I have convinced him the merchandise is real and you have shown him your docility first hand." With a shove he sent me flying backward toward the wall. I stumbled and heard the squeak of rusty springs as I fell onto the bed.

The second visit came later in the day when once again my cell door opened. Scarred Hands was alone this time and he stood quietly staring at me from just inside the cell door. My brain screamed in fear but my mouth didn't move. My drug ravaged body sat there and let him stare. After a few minutes he turned and left closing and locking the door behind him. This was the man who was going to take me away from here, and I knew wherever I went it would get worse.

When I heard my cell door open for the third time I looked up to see the soldier coming toward me. He jerked me to my feet roughly, cursing as he realized my leg was shackled to the bed. He pulled a key from the pocket of his pants and bent to unlock me.

He said harshly, "Come, walk fast. Senor Rivera must see you before you go." He yanked on my arm urging me to hurry but my legs wouldn't work. He raised his arm as if to backhand me and I mentally cringed, waiting for the blow, but he had second thoughts and pulled something out of his pocket. I saw the syringe in his hand. He thought I wasn't cooperating but I was. I couldn't walk with him. My body just wouldn't go. I felt the prick of the needle and the sting of the drug as it entered my body.

A large explosion rocked the building, rattling my iron bed. The smell of smoke wafted almost immediately into the room. The soldier dropped my arm and ran from the room. This was my chance for escape, my brain shouted, but my body wouldn't listen. I lay unmoving on the floor, the smell of smoke becoming stronger. I could hear the crackle of flames as the building became engulfed in fire. I was going to burn to death, I thought, and that was better than what Rivera had planned for me. It was small consolation, but I took some small comfort from it as the blackness enveloped me.

The pounding was relentless and I wanted to put my hands over my ears to muffle it. The awareness that the pounding was coming from inside my head hit me simultaneously with the knowledge that I was going to be sick. Moaning I tried to lift my head. Waves of nausea combined with a paralyzing lethargy kept me immobile. I felt a blessed coolness on my forehead and then slowly I opened my eyes. Unfocused images of a dimly lit room swam before me. I felt strong hands roll me on my side where I wretched and dry heaved until darkness over took me again.

The next time I opened my eyes it was less painful. Slowly I turned my head and felt only a small echo of the agony I had felt before. The light in the room was dim but I could see sunlight edging in around the pulled curtains. I listened for a few moments and heard nothing other than my own breathing. Slowly I sat up and the room began to spin. As the covers fell away I realized that I was in bed and I was naked. I saw the door to the bathroom to my left and became aware of an urgent need to use it, but I was afraid to leave the bed. I didn't know where I was but it didn't have the feel of a prison. Had I been sold? Had I been rescued? Where was I? These questions replayed in my mind on a continuous loop leaving no time for me to formulate an answer.

As my head began to clear I realized this was my opportunity to escape. I took in a deep breath and called out "Hello, anyone here?" My voice was raspy and low as if rusty from disuse. No one answered. I pulled the covers back and gingerly tried to stand. My head began spinning and a tsunami of nausea poured over me. I collapsed back on the bed. I heard the familiar sound of a lock tumbling and I grabbed the bed sheet to cover my nakedness. My heart was beating so rapidly and the blood pumping so fast through my body that my head cleared slightly. I looked up awaiting my fate all thoughts of escaping temporarily gone. The door swung open and Ranger stepped through.

"Babe," he said as he crossed the room and gathered me into his arms.

2. Coming To

I stayed in Rangers arms, unquestioning, until my body began to tremble with the effort of sitting upright. When he felt the tremors he laid me back on the bed tucking the covers in around me. My mind was whirling but I was having trouble forming the questions. Finally I managed to croak out one word, "How?"

He smiled at me, a real smile, not the infinitesimal lip tilt I usually got. Then he brought his hand to my face in a gesture full of tenderness. "Not now, babe, but soon. Give yourself a little time to recover. You need to eat and bathe." As if planned, there was a knock at the door. My eyes darted to Ranger's.

"It's okay, babe, you're safe here." He crossed the room and opened the door, stepping aside to let a small woman whisk in. She came to the bed and reached out to grasp one of my hands in hers. She was bent and wrinkled with the signs of age but her skin was soft and her fingers nimble as she gently massaged my forearm. She burst forth with a tirade of rapidly spoken Spanish which was aimed at Ranger. Barely pausing for breath she turned toward me her voice lowering, her tone turning musical as she softly continued her dialogue.

"Stephanie this is Esperanza," Ranger said. "She is currently very angry with me for letting you lie in bed in your current state. She has banished me from this room while she properly cares for you. She is capable and stronger than she looks. She also speaks no English. I'm going to leave you to her. I'll be back soon." Ranger walked toward the door and Esperanza hurried behind him making shooing motions as if to scoot him out of the room. The sight of Ranger being pushed out of the room by a rosy cheeked elderly Hispanic woman should have been entertaining and some part of my brain recognized this but I was too befuddled to show it. She hurried into the bathroom and I heard bath water running.

I had lost all modesty allowing Esperanza to help me to the toilet and then to bathe me. She washed my hair and despite her gentleness my head was aching by the time she finished. I pulled the soft cotton gown she gave me over my head and with her help I made my way back to the bedroom. She directed me away from the bed toward an arm chair in the corner of the room. I collapsed into it, and watched while she quickly and expertly stripped the linens and remade the bed.

Less than a half hour from the time Ranger had left I was back in bed enduring the worst hangover I'd ever had. I didn't know where we were, or how we'd get home, but my faith in Ranger was complete. With the knowledge that he was taking care of me I was able to endure the chills, nausea, and muscle cramps that tormented me. I would think about how glad I was to be alive, and look forward to going home to see my family and friends later. And Joe. I would think about Joe later too. I was living in the moment until the sickness left me and I could think straight.

I awoke disoriented. The room was dark but I could see the outline of a man sitting in a chair at the foot of the bed. Adrenaline sent a jolt of fear to settle in my stomach and once again I felt the nausea start to roil. Then I remembered.

Taking slow deep breaths I felt the nausea subside and I struggled to make sense of what had happened to me. Ranger got up from his chair and came to sit on the edge of the bed. He brushed a wild tangle of my hair back from my forehead. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

"Better than I was earlier," I said. The jack hammer that had been chipping away at my brain had dulled to the level of fingers drumming at the base of my skull. My mouth was dry and my tongue felt thick and swollen, and I might have been a little hungry. As if reading my mind Ranger got up and crossed the room to the dresser coming back with a bottle of water and a small basket of flatbread. Wordlessly I accepted the water drinking small sips. When it seemed that my stomach was going to tolerate the water, I tried a small piece of the bread. At that moment it was more satisfying than a dozen Boston Crèmes.

Ranger sat back down on the edge of the bed. He stared at me for a moment and said, "Babe, we need to talk, but only when you are up to it."

"I think I'm up to it now," I said as I laid my head back against the pillow. "I have lots of questions." I looked around the room. It was a small room and spotlessly clean, if sparsely furnished. There was a dresser and an armchair with a straight backed chair at the foot of the bed where Ranger had been sitting. There was no television or telephone and I thought that I was no longer in the United States. "Where am I?" I asked "and how did I get here?"

"San Jose," he responded.

"California?" I questioned unbelieving. I was sure I had been taken out of the country.

"Costa Rica," Ranger replied. "For the last two days we've been the guests of Esperanza and her husband Diego. You were overdosed and you've been very ill."

"Two days! I've been here two days?" My mind was reeling. It seemed as though I had only been in the room a matter of hours. I had vague memories of drifting in and out of sleep, of feeling feverish and then chilled but I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I had been here, with Ranger taking care of me, for two days. It was a small room and there was only one bed. Had I been so out of it that I didn't even know Ranger was sleeping with me? Apparently so.

"Yes, and as I've said you've been very ill. I don't know what they were using on you other than it was some sort of tranquilizer. When I came in to remove you from the compound you had just received a large dose. It's unclear whether it was accidental or on purpose, but either way you've been very ill."

"I remember the soldier," I said. "He was angry because I couldn't walk. He said I had to go see Rivera. He left me when the fire started and I thought I was going to die." My voice came out flat and emotionless. I wasn't emotionless, but there was still a disconnect between my mind and my body. I felt like I was on a five second delay, and it was frustrating.

"How much do you remember?" Ranger asked. "We think you were here almost a week before I could get you out."

"I was trying to keep track of the days," I said. "I think it was a week. I was very scared in the beginning and then I just accepted that something horrible was going to happen to me and that I would die."

"Babe, I have to ask," Ranger hesitated as if asking was painful. "Did something horrible happen? You're bruised and you've lost weight. Did they feed you? Were you mistreated?" His voice softened further, "Were you raped?"

I thought for a long time before I answered. "I don't think I was. Raped, I mean. I have only the fuzziest memories from the time I was in my apartment lobby until I woke up in that cell." I remembered more than I was willing to tell about my stay in the cell. I remembered the fear and the paralyzing lethargy from the drugs but I couldn't find the words to express what I'd felt.

"How did they get me here, Ranger? And how did you know where to find me? I thought you were in the wind." I looked up at him and my eyes blurred with tears. I was sick, tired and not entirely in my right mind but I had to know the answers to these questions.

"Morelli called Rangeman as soon as he knew you were gone. Your abduction was witnessed by members of an unnamed government group as well as the FBI who were watching Rivera and his men. They didn't try to stop the men from taking you because to do so would have endangered the undercover operation. They told Morelli, and even told him they that had a good idea of where you were being taken, but he was powerless to intervene."

"In other words," I said, "I was expendable. Getting the goods on Rivera was more important than saving my life."

"Yes," Ranger said slowly. "But the operatives who made that decision have since been pulled off the job, and Morelli's anger over the situation had something to do with that. Morelli talked to Tank and gave him as much info as he could. The FBI and the other agency that were pursuing Rivera gave Morelli pertinent information that made it possible to locate you. Tank called me and the decision was made that I would come in after you alone. Rivera didn't connect me to you so I have been able to move around freely down here. I think I was successful in getting you out without making my presence known."

I was still confused. "I thought you were in the wind, how could you come get me?"

"I've been back from my last mission for several weeks," he said. "I've been taking care of business in Miami and Boston. When Tank called I returned to Trenton and we began to formulate a plan to bring you home."

My brain was still fuzzy, but I fully understood what I was hearing. Ranger was still keeping his distance from me. There was a time when my apartment was his first stop and now he didn't even come to Trenton. I knew, too, that for Ranger to be allowed information to find me there had been some sort of trade off. "Why did they tell you how to find me? Weren't they afraid that you would jeopardize their operation?"

"A deal was made," Ranger said. "Rivera will be brought to justice."

I had played right into the hands of the FBI. I had given them the leverage they needed to find someone else to do their dirty work. If Rivera got away from Trenton and escaped to somewhere outside the country they knew they could involve Rangeman and their mission to break up Rivera's crime ring would be carried out for them.

"By you?" I asked. "Will Rivera be brought to justice by you?"

"Yes."

Joe Morelli was working hand in hand with the FBI on capturing Jorge Rivera. Had he gone to Rangeman out of a genuine concern for me? I was certain he'd been genuinely concerned. But had he gone to Rangeman knowing that ultimately I'd be safe and Ranger would do the dirty work? It was something to think about but not now. Suddenly I was tired. I pulled out of Ranger's embrace and fell back on the bed.

When I woke the next time I was aware of two things. Ranger's arm was around me his body spooned against mine, and my bladder was very full. I tried to slide out from under his arm and he was awake immediately.

"Babe?"

"I need to go to the bathroom," I said. He pulled back the covers and got out of bed holding out his hand to help me."

"Thanks, but I think I can make it on my own." The pounding was gone from my head and I stood without the wave of nausea that had been my constant companion recently. I made my way and when I returned to bed Ranger held the covers up for me to slip under. He wrapped his arm back around me.

"You're going home tomorrow, babe." I turned in his embrace and faced him.

"You're taking me back?" I asked.

"No. Tomorrow morning Jane Davis from the American Embassy will come and get you. She will bring documents that make it legal for you to reenter the United States, and she will bring clothes for you. You will fly on a military aircraft to Pensacola and Morelli will meet you and fly home with you on a commercial flight. You'll be back in Trenton by tomorrow night. You will stay with Morelli, or if for some reason that isn't suitable you can stay at Rangeman. Give me your word that until Rivera is captured you won't stay alone."

"You have my word," I said. I didn't want to be alone. I was still living my present nightmare and I didn't want to set myself up for another one. "When will you be home?"

"I'm not sure," he said. "I have some business to wrap up." The business of finding Jorge Rivera. It was left unsaid but I knew that's what he'd be doing. He leaned to me and kissed me. It was a soft sweet kiss that was meant to give comfort and it did. "Go back to sleep. It's not morning yet, and you have a big day ahead of you."

3. Homecoming

When the morning came I wasn't ready to face the day. Ranger was kind but firm in his insistence I needed to get up. I still had no clothes other than the white cotton gown Esperanza had given me so it seemed pointless to pull back the covers and prepare for the day. I didn't have anything to prepare with. Ranger was dressed but not in typical Rangeman black. He wore faded jeans that hung loosely from his hips and a white t-shirt. I suppose this was his 'undercover' look.

There was a knock on the door and he crossed the room to admit Esperanza. She bustled in carrying a tray and I realized that I was very hungry. She set the tray down and came to give me a hug where I sat on the edge of the bed. Once again a torrent of Spanish poured forth from her. Her face was so full of expression that even though I couldn't understand I knew she was displeased with Ranger. She wagged a finger at him and left the room as suddenly as she had come in.

"What was that all about?" I asked Ranger.

His mouth turned up slightly at the corners. "She said I am a worthless pig for leaving you here without clothing and toiletries. She said her countrymen have treated you badly and for that she is ashamed. She expected me to give you better care."

"You gave me good care," I said. "You've given me my life back, and I'm grateful. I know you have done so at your own personal risk, just one more Stephanie screw up that you've had to clean up. How can I ever repay you?"

Ranger stood next to the window carefully moving back the curtain to peer out. He acted for a moment like he hadn't heard a thing I'd said. Then he turned and said with a forcefulness that surprised me, "You will never repay me because there is no cost. This is not a screw up as you put it, or at least not one on your part. I think you may have been manipulated into acting in a way that put your safety in jeopardy, but I don't think anyone anticipated this situation."

"Are you talking about Joe?" I asked.

Ignoring my question he picked up the tray and brought it to me. "Eat, Stephanie. You have a long day ahead of you and we need to make sure you can keep some food down." So I ate a small breakfast of oatmeal that was very bland, and I actually felt better for it.

There was a knock at the door and Esperanza was back. She took the tray and set it aside all the while speaking to Ranger in a steady stream.

"She wants you to sit in this chair," Ranger told me pulling a small chair from the corner next to the bedside. I moved slowly but steadily to the chair and sat. Esperanza ran nimble fingers through my hair untangling the chaotic curls. Then she began to brush it softly. It felt so good I closed my eyes and relaxed moaning in pleasure, something I'd had no cause to do for many days. I opened my eyes to see Ranger staring intently. Esperanza set down the brush and with deft fingers she began to braid my hair. In a matter of minutes she produced a hand mirror for me to examine her work. Amazingly the wild curls were gone and my hair was contained in a sleek braid.

I looked up to see Ranger smiling at us. I touched Esperanza on the shoulder and shyly tried out the only Spanish I knew that wasn't found on the Taco Bell menu. "Gracias, Esperanza." She immediately threw her arms around me pulling me to her in a quick hug. She drew back patting me softly on the cheek and left the room a trail of Spanish words drifting behind her.

Ranger closed the door and came to me pulling me up from the chair to gather me in an embrace. We stood for a moment holding each other tightly. His grip loosened and his hands came up to touch my face and suddenly he was kissing me. It was nothing like the gentle kiss we had shared the night before. His tongue was pressing against my lips and I opened my mouth to let him in. He was probing, invading and taking me inside his mouth. I felt my own response as my body trembled uncontrollably. I pushed myself closer to him. His kiss was raw and honest, and without finesse. He was taking what he needed not realizing he was giving as well. His hands were moving up and down my back holding me close.

I moaned, my desire for him spiraling upward through my body with such force that I trembled. Abruptly he ended the kiss. Pulling back he rested his forehead against mine. Eyes shut, he quietly drew deep shuddering breaths as he let his hands drop to his sides. Our passion was palpable in the room, and then he lifted his head and black eyes stared at me. I saw the dark dilated pupils of his eyes contract as the passion and need slowly left his face. Suddenly I was staring into the blank expressionless face of Ricardo Carlos Manoso, the mercenary commander. He uttered not a word as he turned and walked from the room pulling the door closed behind him. Stunned and not knowing what exactly had just happened I sank to the bed and sat as the throbbing passion turned into drumming beats of pain.

A few minutes later there was another knock on the door. My heart jumped to my throat. I was alone and although I thought it was safe I went to the window and looked carefully around the edge of the curtain. I saw a small courtyard filled with beautiful flowering plants and trees. I couldn't see the door and I saw no one else in the courtyard. The knock came again, and a voice called out, "Ms. Plum? It's Jane Davis. I'm from the American Embassy. Mr. Manoso said you would be expecting me." I opened the door to find a tall angular woman in a blue suit standing with her arms full of bags. I stepped back to let her in. She walked through the door and deposited her bags on the bed.

Jane Davis stuck out her hand, smiled and said, "Hi, I'm Jane and I'm here to help you get ready for your trip home."

I took her offered hand and shook it. "Stephanie Plum" I said.

"Well, I bet you'll be glad to get back home," she said. "I was briefed yesterday about the events that brought you here. I have clothes and a passport for you. I'll accompany you to the airport and get you on your flight safely. I believe Sgt. Morelli of the Trenton Police department will meet your flight and be with you for the rest of your trip home."

I spent the next half an hour getting myself dressed for the first time in over a week. Jane Davis was no Ella when it came to shopping, but she'd done a good job. I was wearing a stretchy blue t-shirt and some reasonably well fitting black slacks. She even had provided make up and, although the products were not what I was used to, I felt more like my old self after I had two coats of mascara applied. I sat down in the small armchair exhausted while I tried to decide between black flats or strappy sandals, both of which fit. I chose the sandals. I was much better that I had been the day before but far from being over the effects of a week without proper meals. I didn't know how long it would take before the lingering effects of the drug would leave my system.

Jane looked at her watch. "It's about time for us to leave," she said.

"I want to wait for Ranger."

"Ranger?" she questioned

"Carlos, Carlos Manoso, my rescuer." I explained.

"Oh," she seemed surprised. "Mr. Manoso was leaving as I got here. I don't think he intended on coming back." The blank look in Ranger's eyes now made sense. He was off to do the dirty work of the FBI. It was the payment they expected of him for being allowed to rescue me. The realization of everything he had done washed over me and I didn't know if I could gather the energy to stand and leave the room.

In the end I made it. I found myself a short time later strapped into a passenger seat on a small jet. The pilot was a naval officer, I thought. I was the only civilian on the small plane and although everyone seemed friendly enough I spent the relatively brief flight time with my eyes closed, too physically and emotionally spent to be social.

When we landed at Pensacola I made my way off the plane not sure of my next step. I looked up to see Joe waiting for me and I moved quickly forward into his arms. I thought that there was much more to be learned about my abduction and Joe's part, if any, in it. That would come later. At the moment I was tired and shaky and found comfort in the familiar embrace. We stood for a moment holding one another.

The rest of the trip was accomplished in relative ease. A young sailor escorted us to a waiting car and delivered us the airport for our commercial flight and by late afternoon I found myself back in Trenton and on my way to Joe's house.

When we arrived Joe turned to me and said, "Brace yourself, Bob has missed you." He opened the door and his big goofy orange dog launched himself at me. I fell to the floor hugging Bob, laughing and crying at the same time.

"I missed you too, Bob," I said as the dog tried to lick the makeup off my face. Seeing Bob made everything I had endured fade a little. The normalcy of being at Joe's loosened the tightly coiled spring of tension in my chest. I felt safe and it was a good feeling.

I made my way to the living room and sat waiting for Morelli to let Bob out into the backyard. There were so many things I wanted to say and ask that I didn't know where to begin. When he came back in the room with Bob bounding behind I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind. "Was Bob in the house alone all day?"

"Nah," Joe said. "Mooch came over and fed and walked him this afternoon. You look tired, cupcake. I know we have lots to discuss but I think you should go to bed and try to get some rest. Tank called me before I left this morning and updated me on what had happened, how Ranger got you out. I guess it was pretty rough for you."

"Yeah," I said. "Rough. I was so convinced that I was going to die that I'm not sure how to feel now that it's over." Unexpectedly tears were streaming down my face. Joe gathered me in his arms and held me close not speaking. When my tears lessened I wiped my face against his shirt and pulled back to look at him. I saw that my show of emotion was causing him pain. There was something else in his face, an emotion that I couldn't read. I hoped it wasn't guilt.

"I want to go to bed and sleep until tomorrow but I have to call my parents first. I'm sure they are worried. Do they even know what happened?" I asked.

"I called them," Joe said. "I told your mother that you were helping the Trenton PD and the FBI with a case and that you had to leave suddenly. I did that last week as soon as Rangeman agreed to try to bring you back. I didn't want to tell your mom the whole story. Then I called again yesterday to say you would be coming home in a couple of days, so you shouldn't have to call them before tomorrow." That was a relief. I didn't necessarily like the explanation Joe had given them and I didn't want to lie to my family but I couldn't tell them what happened when I wasn't sure myself what had happened. I didn't know how long it would be until I could talk to Ranger and get the entire story but I thought I might have a conversation with Tank very soon.

I suspected the explosion and fire had been part of Ranger's plan to rescue me but I had no idea how he had accomplished the task. I had more questions with each passing hour, but first things first. I had to sleep. I turned to Joe and held out my hand. "Help me upstairs," I said and he did.

4. An Explanation

For the second morning in a row I woke up with arms around me and a man spooned against me. I felt Joe's usual morning reaction to me against my back and, sensing that I was awake, he pulled back and put space between us. That was unusual. Before I had been kidnapped Joe and I had been getting along great. I hadn't seen Ranger in months and even before he left I could feel him pulling away, putting his own form of space between us. Maybe it was because I was still feeling the aftershocks of my recent experience, but I had no desire for any kind of sexual activity with Joe.

There was more to my story than I presently knew and my goal for the day was to find out just what happened to me. I would also visit my parents and the bonds office to let them know what had happened. If Joe couldn't accompany me today then I would call Rangeman and ask for protection. Until I knew that Rivera and his men were no longer a threat to me I was going to be careful. I shifted in the bed and started to get up but Joe's arm tightened a little.

"Can we talk for a little bit, Stephanie?" Joe asked.

I rolled over to face him. This was Joseph Morelli, the man who had been in my life and out of my life on a regular basis since I was six. I knew he cared about me. The thought of me having a dangerous job caused him all kinds of anxiety. He tried to keep me safe. So why now could I not look at him without wondering if he was responsible for my abduction.

"Yes," I said. "I think we should talk. I think there is quite a bit you can tell me about my misadventure. Ranger told me that you were responsible for giving Rangeman the information they needed to find me. How did you know, Joe?"

"Cupcake," He was silent and then threw back the covers to stand at the edge of the bed. His face was twisted with pain and the tightness of his mouth indicated that there was a measure of anger as well. "The sorry SOBs that were working with the Trenton PD double crossed me. I was watching you. I knew that even though I told you not to go see Rivera that you would, but I meant it when I told you to stay away."

I considered what he had said and I had to admit that I did bear some responsibility. Before I could tell him that he continued.

"We saw you leave Rivera's office and go to Rangeman and I figured you were going there for information. We ended up across the street from your apartment building because the FBI had intercepted a message that Rivera wanted you picked up. We thought his guys would grab you and take you back to him and then we would have cause to search his offices and rescue you, at least that's what the guys I partnered with were telling me."

"Who were the guys you partnered with Joe? I keep hearing 'we'. Didn't you have any say in what was going on?"

"A bunch of different people, Steph. The FBI is involved and other government operatives. I'm the liaison between the FBI and the local police department but I don't have any authority in their operation."

"You're talking like it's still going on," I said.

"Technically it is," he said. "If Rivera's men hadn't taken you and left the country it might have all been over by now." For a moment I thought it sounded like he blamed me for getting kidnapped and ruining his chance at an apprehension, but surely I was imaging that tone in his voice.

"Well," I said "They took me, all right, but before they did they drugged me so heavily that I don't have much memory until I woke up in a foreign country chained to a bed and mostly naked. I have no idea of how I left this town and ended up in Costa Rica."

Joe paled and I saw his Adam's apple bob convulsively while he tried to maintain his control. "Stephanie," he whispered coming to kneel by the edge of the bed. "I knew nothing of what was happening to you, only that Ranger had found you and you were safe. Where you hurt, or molested? Did Rivera rape you?"

I didn't answer immediately. I sat up and swung my legs off the bed facing Joe. Less than two days ago Ranger had asked the same question. His demeanor had been caring, concerned for my well being. I looked up at Joe whose face was twisted with anger, and I thought, also with guilt. There was no doubt that the anger was self directed but where was the concern for the woman he loved, the woman that on more than one occasion he had asked to marry him?

I answered as honestly as I could. "I don't know with certainty that I wasn't raped, but I don't think I was. I was drugged the entire time I was there and although I remember most, I don't remember everything. I don't think I ever saw Rivera. I was taken so he could sell me. I had to endure men coming into my cell and touching me, intimately, with having men look at me as a commodity they could use to satisfy their own desires, and I thought that there would be no rescue." I began to tremble as I remembered the horror of fingers sliding up the inside of my thigh. "No," I said more decisively, "I don't think I was raped. I don't think Rivera would allow that until someone had purchased me." In one fluid movement Joe swung up off his knees and turned throwing his fist to crash against the wall so hard his hand went through the wall board. We both froze in stunned silence for a moment. He pulled his hand back and stood still trying to absorb what I'd said. I decided to press for more information.

"Joe, how did I end up in Costa Rica?"

"We saw Rivera's men drag you from your building and put you in the back of a van. As soon as I realized you weren't conscious I started to call for back up but Mitchell stopped me."

"Mitchell?"I asked

"He's one of the FBI guys I was working with. The FBI has all the authority and the Trenton PD was just supposed to be assisting. I went crazy, and started to go after you myself but Mitchell said he knew where they were taking you and we would follow and recover you. We followed but not too closely as Mitchell was sure they were taking you to a heliport south of the city. He was right, but we didn't think they would actually take you with them. We got close in time to see a helicopter take off."

"And I was inside?" I asked.

"Yes." Joe was obviously struggling. He stood silent for a moment and then continued. "Mitchell had a man on the inside, someone very close to Rivera. He was able to get word back to Mitchell that they were smuggling you to Costa Rica, where Rivera had a home and a compound that was the base of the Central American headquarters of his operations. We thought you were with Rivera and he was taking you because of a personal interest in you. I didn't know. Stephanie, I didn't know it was like that for you." He fell to his knees in front of me with his face hidden in his hands. He was sobbing. I had seen Morelli scared, angry, and happy before. I'd never seen him like this. In spite of myself I reached out to take him in my arms to try and comfort him.

He struggled but regained his composure and looked at me, "Cupcake, do you think you should go to the doctor, to, you know, see.. I mean get checked.."

"To see if I'm damaged goods?" I interrupted my temper flaring. I had actually given thought to the idea myself but hearing him stumble around trying to say it was like a blow to my face. Was he asking for me, or to make sure things would be safe for him to resume the physical side of our relationship?

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm not at my best right now, and I don't want to lose my temper when I still have more questions. How did Rangeman get involved?"

"Mitchell said the FBI was powerless to retrieve you if you were on foreign soil. He said the only chance to get you would be through a private operation and the FBI had contacts with several private organizations that might help. I thought of Rangeman. Mitchell was familiar with Ranger and his organization and he gave me permission to bring them onboard and give them all our Intel on Rivera. I knew Ranger was out of the country but I contacted Tank and met with him. He said they would take over and keep me notified of their progress, and they did."

Joe, did it ever occur to you that you were being manipulated?" I asked. "Did you ever think they wanted this to happen and they wanted Rangeman to get involved, because in a foreign country Rangeman could operate with more freedom to take down Rivera than they could? I think you were their pawn."

"Yeah," Joe said. "I had plenty of time to think this past week and I figured it out pretty quickly. And then I spent the rest of the week praying for your safe return. Can you ever forgive me Stephanie?"

I sighed... Joe Morelli, bad boy of the burg, looked to be in about the same emotional shape as I was. Could I forgive him? Part of me was mad as hell, but I just didn't have the energy to fight like Joe and I sometimes did. And maybe it just wasn't that important. He'd screwed up and he knew it, so maybe that was enough of a victory for me.

I looked up at him and smiled wanly. "Yes, I can forgive you." I and found, surprisingly, it was true and it was good to say it. I knew It was true also our relationship was irrevocably changed. How could I bear Joe any ill will? His willingness to get Rangeman involved had ultimately saved me, and he had been victimized by this ordeal, albeit to a lesser degree, just as I had. I didn't know if he fully understood that yet, but when he did finally realize he would know that our relationship had veered into uncharted waters. Whatever we would be to each other in the future, it would not be as it was in the past.

"Joe, I need to get up and dressed. I have to go back to my apartment and get into my own clothes then I have to go see Tank. I want to hear what he knows about this and see where Ranger is. He didn't leave Costa Rica with me and I think I know why, but I want to hear it from Tank. I also want to go to the bonds office and to my parent's house, but I don't want to be alone until I know the threat from Rivera is over."

"I have your purse here," Joe said. "Mrs. Bestler recovered it from in front of the elevator, and I brought clothes over here. I want you to stay here Stephanie. I shook my head in assent. I thought it would be better to spend time with Joe rather than be alone in a Rangeman apartment. We were going to have to redefine our relationship. I was going to clear up this mess of my kidnapping and imprisonment. And with the sudden clarity that apparently comes after a near death experience I had an insight to my future.

I was going to pursue the attraction I had to Ranger, whether he was willing or not. I was no longer sure where I was headed with Joe. I didn't know if we would just call it quits or try to maintain some kind of friendship, and I didn't have a clue as to what Ranger wanted from me. I used to think he just wanted to get me naked but I wasn't even sure about that now. I knew I was important to him on some level or I'd still have been in Costa Rica.

On the previous morning I had to be helped to the bathtub and bathed. Today I was much improved. I was now able to shower and dress myself. When I stood in front of the mirror staring at my hair I remembered Esperanza. There would not be a sleek braid today, just a messy ponytail. One week without proper food had caused my jeans to ride low on my hips. That fact and the hollows beneath my eyes made me think I had lost a considerable amount of weight. A couple of the lunch specials from Cluck in A Bucket would take care of that, although the thought of greasy chicken was not appealing. I walked downstairs to see Joe holding a Tasty Pastry bag. "Gazarra dropped it off when you were in the shower," he said. Donuts sounded a little better. I could feel my jeans getting tighter already. It was good to be home.

5. There's No Place Like Home

Joe dropped me off at Rangeman and I made my way to Ranger's office. Tank was in residence, behind the desk.

"Good morning," I said as I walked in and sat down opposite him. Tank was always friendly and respectful to me. I had the impression that it was because Ranger told him to be that way rather than a true feeling on his part. I thought if he was totally honest he would admit that he viewed me as a pesky fly that he wasn't allowed to swat. Today, however, I was prepared to overlook my unease with him because his quick action after Joe had contacted him had contributed to my safe return.

"Stephanie, it's good to have you back. I talked to Morelli last night and he said the trip home was uneventful."

"Yes," I said, "and Joe and I talked last night as well as this morning. I still have questions about what happened to me. Can you help?"

I looked at Tank's face and saw that he would be forthright with me. I didn't see the play of emotion that had marked Joe's face and I wondered how skewed the information Joe gave me was. I explained what I knew, from my own experience and from what Joe had told me.

Tank listened carefully to everything I said and then he replied. "As I told you the last time you were in here, Rivera is a man to stay away from. In the short amount of time you spent with him he apparently became infatuated enough with you that he decided he had to have you for his own."

"I don't think so," I said. "The entire time I was being held captive I didn't see him once."

"When we studied our intel and decided that Ranger would go in alone we learned some interesting things," Tank said. "The compound where you were held is Rivera's home base. It is not a clearing house for his human trafficking schemes. They don't work that way. You were the only one being held there, and Ranger thinks he knows why. It was, in a way, a staged event, to break you. Rivera wanted you to be so frightened that his offer to keep you for himself would be seen as appealing to you. You'd think that he saved you when it was always his plan to have you."

"Do you mean," I asked, "the men that came to my cell." I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths to calm my see-sawing emotions. I would not cry about this again. "Do you mean those men were playing at a game? They were part of a plan to indenture me to Rivera?"

Tank stared at me for a moment and then simply said, "Yes."

"That's crazy!"

"Well so is Rivera," Tank said. "He apparently took one look at you and became mesmerized by your eyes. It's not the first time he has used this ploy to gain the company of woman he desired. By making the woman think he was saving her she would stay with him, and I'm sure he used drugs to keep his mistresses complacent."

"Where are his other women?" I asked.

"Well, he is monogamous," Tank said. When he finishes with one she disappears. Permanently." I couldn't help myself. I shuddered, mostly with relief that I had been saved from that fate.

"Is Ranger still in Costa Rica?" I asked.

"Yes, I talked to him this morning. He will be there for awhile. He is dismantling the entire operation. He thinks that you are safe in Trenton. Jorge is still in Costa Rica. The FBI's cover was somehow blown and Rivera was in the process of removing all operations from Trenton when his guys grabbed you. Manuel, your skip, is very deeply involved in his Dad's business and he has relocated to New York. The good news is that we will outfit you with trackers and you can drive a Rangeman vehicle. You should be able to get back to some semblance of a normal life. You can stay here at Haywood if you like. We would prefer you not be alone at night until..." He hesitated. "Well until things are a little more settled."

"Thanks," I said. "I'll be grateful for the car and electronic surveillance, but if you don't mind I'll stay at Morelli's for now."

"Whatever you choose," Tank said. "I have apprised Vinnie of what's been going on. Manuel Rivera is no longer considered a skip and you should not try to find him. That file should be considered closed. Vinnie understands."

"So," I said, "I won't have to make any explanations to Connie and Lula. What about my family?"

"I haven't had any contact with your family. I've left that up to Morelli. And speaking of Morelli, there is more to be said. The FBI has been in charge of this operation to bring down Rivera, and they have the cooperation of the Trenton PD. John Mitchell is the opportunistic bastard that threw you under the bus. I don't think he had any idea that Rivera would actually get you out of the country but as soon as he realized what was happening he saw a way to save his busted operation in Trenton. He used Morelli's feelings for you to get Rangeman involved."

"I've been trying to work through Joe's involvement in this, but today is the first day in quite awhile that I'm functioning near normal," I said. "I understand that I owe Ranger and you a great deal. The government is using him to clean up their mess."

"Stephanie your rescue was never in doubt. From the moment Joe told me what had happened, I knew Ranger would do everything in his power to get you back. Mitchell didn't know that however, so I was able to negotiate a lucrative contract with him. There is another agency involved as well and Rangeman has frequent contact with this secondary organization. Rangeman will benefit financially from this op. We are a security company, mainly, but this type of recovery operation is Ranger's life work. It's what he does best. The fact that it was you that needed help just kept everyone on their toes a little more than usual. We don't usually have any personal knowledge of the client."

"But he's in danger now, because of me." I said.

"He has been in situations far more dangerous than this and he will be again in the future." I didn't say anything realizing that I had been given a firsthand glimpse into the side of Ranger's life that mostly stayed hidden. It was a sobering look. The man I called batman, and the man of mystery, spent his time helping the less fortunate. The fact that he made a lot of money for doing so was inconsequential. I knew enough to know that Ranger didn't always work on the right side of the law but he never did anything that would go against his own strict moral code.

I left Rangeman a short time later. Just the simple act of hauling my ass up into a big black SUV and driving the familiar roads to my parents' house was something to be savored and enjoyed. I didn't take anything for granted after my last week and I thought I might enjoy the ride over as once I got there things might go downhill. I was going to tell my parents the truth about my week in Costa Rica. I was prepared to hear that they were hiring at the personal products plant, and I was willing to listen to the litany of jobs held by my mother's friends' daughters.

When I arrived at the house my grandma was standing at the front door as if she knew I was coming, and on some level she did.

"Welcome home, Stephanie. I heard you was away on business for the FBI. That sounds exciting." I walked up and gave her a big hug, not a normal burg greeting. We were typically a 'hands off' bunch. We all loved one another although we didn't necessarily show it physically, but I knew Grandma Mazur would be able to handle my unexpected show of affection.

"Yes, I was gone for a while," I said. "I'll come in and tell you all about it." I walked in to see my mother coming out of the kitchen.

"Stephanie!" she exclaimed. "You've lost weight. Are you unwell?"

"No, I'm fine but I need to talk to you." I went in and sat in the living room getting my father's attention by pushing the power button on the remote. My mom and Grandma came in and waited for news they could already tell they didn't want to hear. I started at the beginning with my trip to Rivera's office and told them the whole story. And then I waited for the fallout.

My Grandma Mazur came over and returned the hug I gave her when I came in.

My father said, "I'm glad Ranger got you home safe."

My mother took a deep breath and said, "It's your life but I wish you weren't a bounty hunter." I was speechless. They seemed happy to have me there. I must have looked like I'd really been through it for mom to acquiesce so easily.

"I'm at the point where I'm not sure I want to be a bounty hunter anymore either," I said surprising myself.

My mom must have decided that there had been enough conversation about my job because she said, "Well, you will be staying for lunch and there will be pineapple upside down cake for dessert." She got up and quickly went into the kitchen to make her words a reality.

I had a great lunch and two pieces of still warm cake for dessert. I took an extra piece with me for an afternoon snack, and headed off to the bonds office.

Lula and Connie looked up when I came in and both rushed to hug me. I was glad they knew what had happened as I didn't think I was up to going through the entire story again. Connie had a pile of folders on her desk. "Are these skips?" I asked.

"Yeah," Connie said. "Most of them are low level skips. Are you feeling up to going after anyone?"

"Not today," I said. "I think I'll start fresh tomorrow."

"Is Ranger still gone?" she asked. I hesitated not knowing how much to say. They knew he had rescued me but I didn't think the fact that he was still in Costa Rica was public information.

"I'm not sure where Ranger is," I said, because that was technically the truth.

"Well we've got a skip here that has his name on it. Vinnie said Ranger was probably the only guy that could get him." My curiosity was piqued. I picked up the folder and began reading. The skip was a white collar criminal accused of embezzling a half million dollars from his accounting firm. His name was Charles Goodson and I knew him. Well it would be more accurate to say I knew of him. When I was married to Dickie his law firm had a connection with the firm Goodson had worked for. I couldn't focus on what I was reading. It seemed like my day was almost over. I was tired and just needed to escape into the darkness of sleep. It was still early afternoon but I pulled out my cell and called Joe.

"I'm done for the day," I said. "Tank gave me a car to drive so that my movements could be monitored by Rangeman." I waited for the explosion to come. The usual rants and raves about my accepting favors from Rangeman were absent.

"I'll meet you at home," was all Joe said. More proof that my relationship with Joe had changed. I realized it would be hard for him to complain about me accepting help from Rangeman when he had been responsible for bringing Ranger into my life in a really big way.

We spent the evening quietly without much conversation. I explained to Joe that I was under Rangeman surveillance and that they felt the danger level to me from Rivera was low. I could tell he wanted to say something but he chose not to and I didn't press him. Either he was upset at my involvement with Rangeman or he was worried about the ongoing investigation of Rivera. I didn't know which it was but I planned to stay well out of his way. He couldn't contain his comments when I told him I would be back to business as usual at the bonds office the next morning.

"Do you think that's wise?" he asked. "You don't seem to be up to full strength yet. I don't know if my nerves can take another fiasco. I've been living on antacids."

"That's not really fair Joe," I responded. "I bring in skips every day and you never slap me on the back and say good job Stephanie. On the occasion something goes wrong you're right there to criticize and let me know how much my job is doing to ruin your health."

He looked as though he was going to let the Italian temper fly, and I wasn't sure I was at all up to it. But then with a miniscule shoulder shrug he threw an arm around my shoulder and said, "You're right. I don't ever tell you that you do a good job, I just want to be sure you are operating at full speed before you go back to work."

"I'll be fine. I plan on taking things pretty easy for the next couple of days." We spent the rest of the evening in companionable pursuits of watching TV and playing with Bob, and during the evening I was once again aware our relationship had veered off the course I had seen us taking. We went upstairs to bed and slept side by side, neither one of us reaching out to the other in a way that would renew our physical relationship.

6. Business as Usual

The next morning I was at the bonds office early, ready to get back into the swing of things. As luck would have it Connie had a number of low bond skips that should be easy to apprehend. It would take almost the entire pile to make next month's rent but I thought I could handle it by taking two or three a day. Lula galloped in shortly after I arrived, the morning paper and large Tasty Pastry bag sliding from her arms to land in a heap on Connie's desk.

"Jeez," Connie said. "What's the big commotion? I've got a latte here that I paid four bucks for. Don't spill it!"

"I'll tell you what the big commotion is," Lula said. "I got the commotion right here and it's the shits." She picked up the front section of the newspaper and with a flourish shook it open and began to read from the second page. The obituary page. "Local Trenton Business Owner Killed in Vacation Accident—Word has been received today of the death of Jorge Rivera, owner of Rivera Import-Export. Authorities say Mr. Rivera was fatally injured when he fell from a defective parasailing harness at a beach resort near Tamarindo, Costa Rica. The body was seen plummeting into the sea, but has not been recovered. An investigation is underway to verify the licensure of the vendor. Memorial arrangements are still being made by the family."

I was stunned. Lula and Connie knew that Jorge Rivera was responsible for my abduction but they were unaware of Ranger's continued involvement. I couldn't think of anything to say.

Connie said, "That's karma. It's just what he deserved. What goes around comes around."

"Yeah," Lula said. "That's right, what goes around, and I imagine he went round and round and round until he just smashed into the ocean. I tell ya that's about the most interesting article I read since ole Eddie Abruzzi killed himself." Once again stunned and still speechless I shot a look at Lula. She had dropped the paper and was busy routing through the Tasty Pastry sack. She held up a Boston Crème and said, "This here's for you Stephanie, on account of you need to get some meat back on that skinny ass of yours."

"Thanks," I mumbled. "Seen much of Tank lately Lula?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I have," she said. "I've seen quite a bit of Tank." I knew that was certain. Interesting to know that they were sharing confidences on that level.

The rest of the day seemed mundane in comparison to the start of it. Lula rode shotgun and we managed to bring in three low level skips. Two of them were first time offenders so they believed my spiel about coming in to rebond. By late afternoon we were back at the bonds office with body receipts totaling six hundred dollars. I gave Lula a share and felt pretty good about the day. My cell rang as we left the office.

"I'm on my way home," Joe said. "How does Pino's sound?"

"Great. It'll go perfectly with my Tasty Pastry breakfast and my Cluck in a Bucket lunch," I told him. We shared a small laugh.

I ate my meatball sub with enjoyment and realized that the end of the day was near and I was still functional. I was getting stronger. I had been waiting until we were through eating until I mentioned the obituary, but Joe beat me to it.

"Did you see the paper?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I don't know how Ranger managed it," Joe said shaking his head slowly side to side.

"It said it was an accident. Maybe Ranger had nothing to do with it."

"Yeah, maybe," he said. "Actually I could almost believe that there could be a parasailing accident. It wouldn't be the first time. What I can't believe is that Jorge Rivera would willingly go parasailing." He had a point so I chose to stay silent on the subject.

Instead I brought up a new subject. "With Rivera dead it would probably be safe for me to move back into my apartment," I said.

"I don't want you to." Joe got up out of his recliner and moved to sit next to me on the sofa. "Steph we have a lot to discuss. I would like you to stay with me, at least for the near future. Rex is happy on my kitchen counter. You wouldn't want to disrupt him again so soon would you?" he asked teasingly.

I smiled. That was actually one of the most endearing things about Joe. He took care of Rex. He called my mom. He observed all the burg requirements that made her think of him as a good mate for me, and there was genuine feeling on both our parts. At one time that feeling had been emotional and physical. The sexual attraction between us had been strong. I wasn't feeling that anymore but I didn't want to give up on the idea of a friendship.

"There is something really important for us to talk about tonight if you are up to it, cupcake."

"I'm up for it," I said my curiosity aroused. He stood up and began to pace the small living room.

"I know the timing could be better," he said, "But I can't control it. I've been asked to go undercover for an extended period of time. The FBI is still working on the op started here to put Jorge Rivera out of business. His son Manuel is in a battle for control of the New York organization. Not near as much is known about the New York venue, but the consensus is that it is just starting to grow and there is a chance to get myself placed deep inside."

"You want to work for the FBI?" I asked.

"The FBI is offering a chance for the Trenton PD and NYPD to work in conjunction with them. This will be an intense operation that could last as long as a year."

"You'd be undercover a year? How would you handle that? You wouldn't see your family, or me. What would happen to Bob?" I asked. "I love him but I can't keep him."

"Bob will go with me as part of my cover," Joe said. "There is more. There is the possibility that if I get in deep enough I may have to form a..a relationship."

"You mean cheat on me?" I asked.

"No! That's not what I mean at all. It would be work. And it would be left behind when the operation was over. My whole life would be scrutinized and it would just be natural for me to have a relationship. If I stayed without a woman it could look suspicious."

"Oh, I see," I said. You'd find a woman and shack up and have sex but not enjoy it at all because it would be work."

"Stephanie, don't be unreasonable. I'd be doing this for us. When I came back I would be promoted to department head. I'd be a lieutenant, and I could support a wife very nicely on that kind of salary."

"When do you have to decide?" I asked my temper starting to simmer.

"I have all ready decided," he said. "I leave in forty eight hours. You're the one with the decision."

"What do you mean, you've already decided? Don't you think that if I am important to you I should have some say in this decision?" I asked.

"Cupcake I want us to be married, but I can't marry you unless you give up this bounty hunting job. It's not like you're even good at it . If you were then maybe I wouldn't be living on antacid worrying about your safety. Hell, at this point I'd be happy if you went to work full time at Rangeman doing computer searches. It would be safer."

"Joe, I can't just up and quit my job. Vinnie needs somebody, and I can't just assume that Ranger would give me a job. Except for the short time I saw him in Costa Rica I haven't even talked to him in half a year."

"I know you can't just up and quit. I'll be gone for possibly a year. I just want your word before I go that you will quit this ridiculous job and find something better. I can support you once I get back, for that matter I can support you while I'm gone. You can live here. I don't want the mother of my children rolling in garbage or getting abducted. I can't live like that."

"Let me see if I understand," I said slowly. "You are going to be gone without my being able to reach you for up to a year. You are going to be involved in dangerous activities and possibly be involved in sexual activity to help maintain your cover. I need to agree to marry you and also to give up my job because it is too dangerous." He shook his head yes.

"So do I get to have a sexual relationship while you're gone?" His eyes went black with anger but before he could yell I went on. "Joe you are going into a dangerous mission with no regard for the worry I would have about you, but you expect me to give up my career because it's too dangerous and you worry about me. What part of irony don't you understand!" My voice had started low but I was in full shouting mode by the time I'd finished.

"You don't have a career, Stephanie. You depend on Ranger to save you from big trouble and the rest of the time you get by on pure dumb luck. Someday your luck will run out. I can't live with that."

"Joe you are going to work for the same people that used both you and me. They could have apprehended Rivera's men before they took me out of the country, but they didn't. Then they manipulated you into getting Rangeman involved. They blew their own operation and called Ranger into save it. How could you consider working for them?"

Joe turned to me and said, "Sometimes the end justifies the means. My going undercover could give us the life we want. I don't have a choice."

"The end justifies the means?" I questioned. "Did the end justify the means when they took me to Costa Rica? "

There was so much more I wanted to say, but I didn't think he hear it. My temper was in full boil but I managed to keep from letting it show. My mind was made up. I just had to decide how I was going to let him know my decision. And suddenly I was tired, so tired I didn't know if I could make it upstairs.

"Okay, Joe," I said. "You've given me plenty to think about. I'll give you my answer by tomorrow or the next morning at the latest. I'm going to bed now." I turned and left the room.

I felt the mattress give a few minutes later as Joe eased himself down next to me. His arms went around me and he lifted my face to meet his for a soft kiss. He turned his head and increased the pressure. I felt his tongue trying to coax my lips apart. I pulled back. "I'm sorry Joe. I can't. I just can't get the memories of Costa Rica out of my mind. I am not my old self and I can't believe that you are thinking of leaving me to work for the people who betrayed your trust. If you want me to bounce right back to normal you are going to be disappointed. You're going to have to give me a little time."

"We don't have much time, cupcake. I'm leaving in two days."

"Not tonight, Joe. I can't" I heard his sigh of acceptance. He gave me a brief hug and rolled over on his side and we laid in silence ,each thinking our own thoughts. I hadn't been honest with Joe. It was true that I wasn't willing make love with him. It had much more to do with anger over his ultimatum than remembered trauma from Costa Rica. Unbidden, the thought of Ranger kissing me by the side of the bed in Esperanza's little room jumped into my mind. I'd just been through a week of hell and was still feeling the effects of the drug and I wouldn't have stopped him if he hadn't walked away. I knew there was something important to be gleaned from that memory but not on this night. There was always tomorrow to think about what I couldn't deal with today.

7. Decisions Made

I spent a sleepless night so I know that Joe slept well. I watched every hour tick off the digital alarm on the nightstand. It had been a lonely journey from bedtime till dawn but as the room slowly began to fill with the morning light I felt good about decisions I had made while Joe slept.

My decision to Joe's ultimatum had been made almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth. I didn't want to be married, to anyone. I never have been able to envision myself as a Burg housewife. I didn't necessarily want to be a bounty hunter the rest of my life, but I wasn't ready for anyone to tell me I couldn't be. I knew that when Joe left to go undercover there would be no more us. I had to be an equal partner in any relationship and I was starting to see how foreign that concept was to Joe.

Most of our fights were over the same subject and Joe never seemed to hear what I was saying. When he went undercover I wanted him to go with no doubt that we were through. I planned to accomplish that by bringing the meanest, most dangerous FTA I could get my hands on into the police station. I planned to do so with clothes that were pristine, not even the hint of eau de garbage clouding the air space. I was going to bring in Charles Goodson, never mind that he was reserved for Ranger, and I had less than twenty four hours to find him and capture him. Actions speak louder than words, or so my mother always said. He should get the message loud and clear and I'd make sure that whoever gave me the body receipt would give Joe the low down. I felt bad that my plan might blindside Joe, but as he so recently pointed out the end justifies the means.

One decision down and one really big one to go. It had occurred to me sometime around two a.m. although Ranger always said there was no price, there was, in fact, a big price. Every time Ranger went into the wind he would come home a little less emotionally available. Ranger was my mentor when we started. We used to have a good working relationship. I respected and feared him and he liked me, and respected my right to try, even if I was rarely successful on my own. It didn't seem equitable on the surface but it worked well for us. And then we ruined it by sleeping together.

The one night I had spent with Ranger had defined every other sexual experience of my life. When I thought back on it I wondered if time was smoothing rough edges, making the night seem more magical than it really was. The thing is though, there were no uncomfortable moments, and it was magical beyond anything I'd previously experienced or imagined. But then the sun rose and it was over. And that's when the problems with Ranger and me started.

From that night forward there were brief glimpses of the old Ranger and Stephanie, and then as if he saw he was getting to close he would push me toward Morelli and leave. Poof! He would just leave and be in the wind and when he came back there would be a great emotional distance between us. I think he left to recharge his anti-relationship batteries. I used to take it personally, but no more! I had to realize that he meant it when he said he didn't want a relationship and I had to honor his wishes. I didn't think I was the first life he had saved, and I wouldn't be the last. His ethics and morals wouldn't let him take a job unless he believed in the cause no matter what the profit margin. He really was Batman, and apparently Batman couldn't function if his heart was tied up.

At three a.m. I replayed the things he had told me in the past and really heard them. I was going to give Batman the distance he needed. I thought at some point in his life he might start to look toward home, hearth and family and if I was still available, well then, who knows? But I wasn't going to hang around waiting. If he loved me in his own way that was great. It's nice to be loved after all. And if his love came without a ring, but with condoms that was great too. I didn't think either one of us could truly handle a relationship based just on the physical, no matter what he said, because there was already too much emotion between us. I would respect his distance.

Two life changing decisions in one night. I should have been tired but I was invigorated.

When the alarm went off, I walked into the bedroom and shut it off. I leaned over Joe and said, "Time to rise and shine. I've already been in and out of the shower."

"You're not usually this chipper in the morning," Joe groused. "What's going on?"

"Well I've done some thinking overnight and I have more to do. I plan to be in the bonds office early today. I want to do some serious talking with Lula."

Joe threw back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, "Are you ready to talk about my leaving?" he asked.

"No, but I understand the importance of my making a decision and I give you my word that you won't leave without one." I wasn't being coy, I just didn't see the need to give him advance notice that we were done. I wasn't up for the fight and I didn't have time to waste talking. I had a plan to formulate. I had goals to achieve and so did Joe. Too bad for both of us that there was no commonality in our desires for the future.

"Bob has been walked and fed," I said. "And I'm getting an early start. I want to go downtown and see if I can catch Dickie before he starts his office hours."

"Dickie Orr, your ex-husband? The guy you hate?" asked Morelli disbelievingly?

"Yes," I said. "He is my ex husband and he is pond scum, but I've been doing a lot of thinking and I think Dickie has information that can help me." I left Morelli sitting on the edge of the bed with a truly puzzled look on his face.

As I climbed into the Rangeman SUV that was my current mode of transportation I made a quick decision to call Tank.

"You're up early," he said as a greeting. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine," I replied. "I was just wondering if you had any idea when Ranger would be back."

"No."

"I could really use some information here, Tank," I said hoping the exasperation couldn't be heard in my voice. "I'm asking for Connie who is holding a high bond FTA for Ranger."

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Charles Goodson, Do you know him?"

"No, I'm not familiar with the name at all."

"Well, according to Connie he is very dangerous, but he was arrested for embezzlement, not exactly what you'd expect for a quarter million dollar bond."

There was a low whistle from Tank. "Yeah, that's what I thought," I said. "He only embezzled a half million and his bond was posted for half the amount he stole. Connie is firm though. Ranger is the one Vinnie wants."

"I don't expect Ranger back for a few days yet. I'll let him know about the bond if I talk to him. If Vinnie can't wait I can get a couple of the guys on it. I'm sure Vince and Lester can handle it."

"Okay, I'll tell her," I said.

I started the SUV and made my way downtown, with a short detour by the Tasty Pastry. I didn't know how long I'd be waiting on DIckie so I opted for a dozen glazed. It there were any left over I could donate them to the cause of convincing Connie to give me Charles Goodson.

I was early enough to get a parking space directly across from the entrance to DIckie's building. This was the same office building where I'd met Jorge Silva. I shivered just thinking about it. I knew that his office was closed up tight and that the man, himself, was dead but I was glad I was going to be bypassing the fourth floor just the same.

I only had to wait twenty minutes before I saw him. He carried a briefcase in one hand and an extra-large cup of some premium coffee in the other. He had sandy blonde hair and was nice looking, if you didn't know him. I'd had to admit he still stirred up emotion in me, all of it negative, but I pushed all that aside. I needed information from him. I slid from the SUV and hurried across the street pulling the door open for him as he approached.

"Oh Jeez," he said taking an involuntary step back. "I can get a restraining order, Stephanie. Stay away."

"Calm down," I said. "I just need a little information from you and then I'll leave."

"What makes you think I'll help you?" he asked.

"Because I'm persistent, and the quickest way to make me leave is to cooperate."

"All right. You have a point, but I'm not taking you to my office. We'll talk here." He pointed to a sofa in the lobby.

We sat and I asked him immediately, "Do you still socialize with Charles Goodson?"

Dickie's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Not so much. He's in some trouble right now."

"I know that," I said. "His bond was set a quarter million and he's FTA. Vinnie wrote the bond and whoever brings him in is going to get a paycheck of twenty five grand. He embezzled a half million but I can't see why they'd set his bond so high. Is he dangerous?"

"I don't know," Dickie said. "I don't really socialize with him anymore. He is into some weird sexual shit. He actually lives in my building."

I was quiet considering what I'd just heard. I knew Dickie was into things I considered weird, and I wondered what kind of a yardstick he measured Goodson by.

"And if he's FTA he won't be hard to find," Dickie said. "I've seen someone visit his apartment every day. I know he's holed up in there."

"Who visit's him?" I asked.

"Someone different every day. He uses Madam Vancha. He's into some pretty kinky stuff and he's been arrested for it. Maybe his bond is high because of that."

"Madam Vancha?" I asked.

"She's a specialty madam. Specializes in S and M. Ask your friend Lula," DIckie said. "She'll know. And if I was you I'd think twice about trying to get this guy. He's psycho." I told Dickie thanks and made my way back to the SUV.

Well the high bond FTA was closeted in his apartment seeing prostitutes who specialized in S and M on a daily basis. He shouldn't be so hard to get I thought.

I drove to the Tasty Pastry for the second time that day. I wanted to restock my supply. My next hurdle was to convince Connie to let me have the papers for Goodson. I didn't know why Vinnie was so insistent on having Ranger. There must be more to this guy than I had heard. Maybe he was a high flight risk. I pulled up in front of the bonds office to see that I was the first one there. I unlocked the door and disarmed the security. Ten minutes later there was fresh coffee and a wide array of pastries waiting for the arrival of Connie and Lula. I sat down to reread the file on Charles Goodson.

Less than a half an hour later the door opened and Connie walked in followed by Lula. "Hey," Connie said, "What's up. I don't ever remember you beating me here."

"Oh I've been up for hours," I said. "Actually I didn't sleep last night, at all."

"Are you okay?" Lula asked. "You're not having emotional trouble because of your recent experience are you?" Lula looked at me speculatively and I stopped and thought, am I?"

"Well, I'd say things are definitely not back to normal. But I think I'm doing okay. I've got some news for both of you though." I told them about the discussion I'd had with Joe, and about the realization that it was time for Joe and I to go our separate ways, permanently.

I had a best friend from high school, and I had good friends from college. We stayed in touch but more and more I found the friends I depended on were Connie and Lula. I thought they felt the same. I knew Connie would be hesitant to go against Vinnie's orders and let me go after Goodson, but I also knew she would give in if I told her how important it was to me personally. I didn't expect that there would be opposition from Lula.

"Are you sure you are up to going after this dude?" Lula asked. "You been through some big stuff recently. This kind of capture will take some good planning and it could get nasty if things go bad. Are you recovered enough from the last time to handle nasty?"

Was I? I hoped I was. I didn't expect anything 'nasty' to happen. "I have a plan." I said. "And I think it's a good plan, but I'm going to need help. I've already got some good information from Dickie.

"Your ex-husband, DIckie?" Connie questioned. I shook my head yes. "You must be really serious if you went to him for help."

I repeated my conversation with Dickie and then turned to Lula. "Do you know Madam Vancha?"

"I know her," Lula said, "and I know one of her girls. Maryanne Miller. She and I used to share the same corner before she moved into a specialty area."

"My plan is to pose as one of her girls to get in the door to see Goodson," I said. "Can you help me Lula?"

"Wait a minute," Connie interrupted. "Vinnie was very clear that he wanted Ranger to go after this skip. I could maybe let it go to one of Ranger's men. Vinnie was very firm."

"Why," I asked. Is this guy really that dangerous?"

"I don't know, but it's a high bond and Vinnie doesn't want any screw ups. He can't afford it when the bond is this high. But well, Ranger isn't back yet, and..." Connie didn't finish her sentence. I smiled and put the folder in my purse.

"I won't let you down, I promise." I told her. "By this time tomorrow Goodson will be in custody, and Joe will have the message that I'm not interested in giving up my life for his idea of domestic bliss."

"You're doing this tonight?" Lula asked. I shook my head yes. She rolled her eyes and walked over to the Tasty Pastry bag. "Well dig in girls. We've got to keep our strength up. We got one day to convince Madam Vancha to let Stephanie pose as one of her girls." Lula turned and looked straight at me. I was wearing my normal outfit of stretchy t-shirt and jeans. "And we got one day to wipe all traces of the burg outta you and turn you into a dominatrix prostitute. This may take more than donuts."

8. A Job Well Planned

Lula, Connie and I spent the next hour in a brain storming session to come up with the perfect no fail plan to capture Goodson. Everything depended on Lula's being able to talk to Madame Vancha in order to get her cooperation and Lula didn't think we should call quite so early in the day. I found myself at loose ends and rather than tackle the remaining low bond skips I stayed in the office and helped Lula file.

When the filing was done we decided to take a ride to Dickie's condo building. On impulse we parked and entered the lobby. The doorman watched us but didn't immediately kick us out. I pulled out my cell and called Dickie.

"What?" he growled. "I thought you said you'd quit bugging me if I gave you information."

"I'm in your lobby," I said. "I need access to get up to see Goodson's apartment."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," he said. "Goodson lives on the same floor as me. I'll call the lobby and tell them to put you on the list of my visitors. You should be able to get in for the rest of the day. Now will you please go away and quit bothering me. I am an attorney and it might be best for me not to know what you are up to." I thanked him and hung up. I wouldn't call again because the last thing I wanted was to be indebted to Dickie.

We stood for a few minutes and waited until the doorman had received a phone call. I approached him. "Hi," I said. "I'm Stephanie Plum. Dickie, uh, I mean Mr. Orr, was going to call and ..."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. "I'll just have you sign right here and then you can go on up." I signed the book and headed for the elevator.

"He lives on the eleventh floor, just down the hall from Dickie," I said. "Number One One Three Five." We exited the elevator and headed down the hall with no intent other than to walk by the door to Goodson's place, sort of an undressed rehearsal. We were between Goodson's door and the elevator with no place to hide when his door opened and a bedraggled girl in a long black coat slid out closing the door quickly behind her. Lula and I watched her limp down the hall head down. She glanced up quickly as we passed and then did a double take. "Lula?"

Lula stopped and looked at her, "Maryanne? Girl, I was just talking about you." Lula grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back toward the elevator keeping her eyes on the door Maryanne had come through. I reached the elevator first and pushed the button. I looked at the pinched, tight face of the girl who was practically falling into Lula's arms. The door slid open and we jumped inside standing huddled, holding our breaths until the door closed with a soft whoosh. I wasn't sure why but I sensed that there was danger lurking. It sounded melodramatic but it felt real.

"We got to get you into Stephanie's SUV," Lula said. "When the door opens run across the lobby and follow Stephanie and me. You don't look too good Maryanne." We made it through the lobby, past the surprised doorman and into the SUV in quick order. Lula was a general in charge of the operation and I heeded her next order. "Find a McDonald's or somewhere to drive through. We got to get this girl something to eat and drink. You okay Maryanne?"

Maryanne shook her head yes. "I just had a real hard night, you remember what it's like." Lula apparently did. I had no idea, but I thought I should find out. I found the nearest McDonalds and drove through getting sausage biscuits and diet cokes for everyone. I wasn't hungry but I thought that maybe the sugar from the almost dozen donuts I had consumed so far that day might be contributing to my shaky feeling of unease.

Lula let Maryanne get a couple of bites down and then she started in, "Did you spend the night with Goodson?"

Maryanne shook her head yes, "He doesn't like us to use his real name though. Everyone at Madame Vancha's calls him Drakul. I just recognized him from seeing the article about him in the paper, you know about his arrest."

"I'm glad you know about that," Lula said. "Stephanie here is a bounty hunter and she needs to bring him in. We got a plan that she should show up at his door and say she is one of Vancha's girls. We hear he has one every night."

"He does, usually. But I'm not sure if Madam would go for that. She protects her clientele pretty well. And, no offense," she said as she gave me a quick perusal, "you don't really look the type."

"I can take care of that," Lula said. "I just want to make sure we can get her into his place without him being suspicious. I heard he can be real mean."

"Yeah," Maryanne agreed, "he's not a nice guy. Normally he likes to be hurt, if you know what I mean." Lula shook her head yes. I didn't have a clue. "He likes to be tied down and he likes electricity. It helps him perform. I thought I'd made him pretty happy last night but I guess not. Instead of letting me leave he tied me up and returned the favor. Some of the girls like it, but not me. He didn't untie me till this morning. Madame isn't going to be happy, and he's gonna owe her some for keeping me all night." My feeling of unease grew and I didn't think it was the sugar after all.

"Well maybe she'll let us settle the debt," Lula said. "That way we could get Steph here inside his place tonight."

"Not tonight," Maryanne said. "Tonight Madam's having a little fair. There will be a car sent to pick him up and he'll get to pick from all the girls."

"A fair?" I asked, finally finding my voice.

"Kinda like a Tupperware party," Lula said. "without the Tupperware. You see?" I didn't see at all.

"This is great," Lula said. "Stephanie you can pick him up. That way he'll already be in the car and you can take him straight to the cop shop."

"I don't know," Maryanne said. "He'll be expecting to be picked up in something a little more exotic than this thing. And he won't ever believe she is one of Madam's girls," she said pointing at me. My mind suddenly was filled with half forgotten images of my recent abduction. I remembered the feel of unfriendly fingers sliding on my skin, pinching, inducing fear in my drug fogged brain. I remembered the terror and I felt the anger and although Goodson had no connection to Rivera I knew I could call on that experience to pull tonight's capture off.

I turned to stare at Maryanne. Her makeup was smeared. She had piercings in her eyebrow and lip, and her lip was swollen, like maybe someone had tugged hard on that piercing. Why was she doing this, I wondered. Was it for the money or was she just caught in a trap she couldn't get out of. I said with a voice full of conviction, "I can pull this off. I can pick him up driving a black Porsche turbo and I can give him as much pain as he wants. But I don't want to use my real name. Tell him Lilith will be picking him up this evening. Just let me know what time to be there and I'll do the rest."

"Dang!" Lula said. "You sure you can be driving batman's car?"

"I'm sure."

By lunch time it was apparent that I was going to need a nap. I thought about going to my apartment but I hadn't been there since before my unscheduled trip to Costa Rica. I thought briefly about going to Haywood and finding my way to seven. I was sure no one would say anything. I had the key fob, but I hadn't been a recent guest on seven either. I was going to make an unannounced appearance at Rangeman later in the day. I was going to go to seven, pick up the keys for the Porsche and, basically steal it. Goldilocks wouldn't sleep at Rangeman today.

I choose to take my nap at Joe's house, and it wasn't altogether restful. I knew Joe wouldn't be home until the end of the day and I wanted a little closure as well as a nap. I felt a sense of loss for a relationship he didn't even know was over. I laid in my thinking position reminiscing about Joe and the first time we'd made love in his room. I wondered where we'd taken a wrong turn. There was still great sexual chemistry between us, or at least there had been before Costa Rica. If I could get over my resentment of his handling of my abduction maybe that desire would come back. But what then? We had a fundamental difference of opinion about my role in his life and I knew I was doing the right thing, no matter how hard it was. At some point during all this thinking I was awakened by my phone ringing. I looked at the caller ID to see it was Lula.

"It's all set up." Lula said. "Maryanne said that he is expecting Lilith to pick him up at nine. Don't forget you have to call him Drakul." Forgetting his name was the least of my worries, I thought. "I been shopping for you at the Pleasure Treasures," Lula continued. " I'll have you ready to go. You need to be at Sally's at seven, and you better get the Porsche before you get dressed. They won't recognize you when I get done."

I disconnected with Lula and rolled off the bed. I went downstairs and got Bob's leash. We were going for a walk. Not only was I losing a longtime lover, I was losing Bob and the fact that it was my decision didn't make it any easier. I brought a happy and empty Bob back to Joe's and took one long last look around. I picked up Rex's cage and locked the door behind me as I left. I wondered if Joe would miss Rex and draw the conclusion that I was gone. I briefly second guessed myself and wondered if I was going about telling Joe the right way. I thought I was. I wanted to make sure that he understood fully that I had no intention of quitting my job. Bringing in an FTA that would net me twenty five grand seemed to be a good way to get my point across. There were tears in my eyes and I knew that I probably wasn't emotionally fit. I would have plenty of time to get strong during the time Joe would be undercover.

Rex and I entered my apartment building to see Mrs. Bestler on duty at the elevator. She greeted me warmly and I felt that I had just gained a piece of my old self back. I moved Rex back to his original home on my kitchen counter and sat on my sofa going through my accumulated mail. Someone had been bringing it in. My refrigerator had fresh milk and eggs and there was a fresh loaf of bread in the breadbox. I realized that Ella had been keeping my apartment ready for my return. I appreciated it but realized it was one more debt I owed Ranger. I made myself a peanut butter and olive sandwich and enjoyed every bite. I was beginning to catch a glimpse of my old life and it felt good.

I made a sudden decision to alert Tank to the fact that I was taking the Porsche. The whole plan hinged on my being a believable dominatrix and the Porsche was key to that. And I was having second thoughts about just waltzing in and taking it. It was part of my new plan to honor Ranger's need for space.

"Yo." Tank said, imitating Ranger's usual greeting.

"Hi, I need another favor."

"What can I do for you, Stephanie."

"This is really important. I need to borrow Ranger's Porsche. Just for a few hours and I promise I'll be really careful. I'll return it tonight."

There was a moment's silence. "Do you need to be picked up?"

"No," I said. "I'll exchange it for the SUV. Thanks, Tank." I hated to sound pathetic but I couldn't help myself. "Have you heard anything from Ranger?"

"No, but he'll be home soon."

"Not today?" I asked. As much as I wanted to see Ranger I didn't want to see him until his Porsche was back in his garage safe and sound.

"Not today. Have you seen the afternoon papers?" he asked.

"No."

"Manuel Rivera was a passenger in a small twin engine plane that went down in the Pacific off the coast of Costa Rica. There were no survivors." He disconnected and I was left to sit and ponder.

I knocked on Sally Sweet's door at seven sharp. I'd left the Porsche parked at the curb. Lula opened the door. "Come on in. Sally had to run and get more Nip Grip. He'll be right back."

"Nip grip?" I asked.

"You know," she said. "Adhesive, glue. How else you gonna keep these babies in place." She held up a latex areola with a nipple the size of a small bing cherry. The nipple was pierced with a small metal spike attached to a miniature medieval battle flail. I felt my eyelid twitch.

9. The Check's in the Mail

WWRD-What would Ranger do? I often asked myself this before I attempted to recover an FTA. My plans always seemed so good and frequently went so wrong, especially when Lula was involved. She was presently very involved in this plan, in fact she was running it. I thought what Ranger would do is simply go get Goodson, and if Goodson fought back Ranger and his backup would flatten him and take him in.

I was standing in front of a full length mirror in Sally's bedroom looking at a mostly naked me. The latex nipples which had looked so hideous in Lula's hand were in held snugly in place thanks to the nip grip. They looked almost real through the translucent black fabric of the mini dress I was wearing. The metal piercings swung from the nipples. I had been afraid that there would be too much nipple for my breast but it seemed Lula had known what she was doing. I had let her have free reign with the costuming and I had let her help me dress. I was surprised again when she handed me a chainmail g-string to step into.

"Are you kidding?" I asked.

"No," she said. "Go ahead and put it on. It's surprisingly comfortable. I have one of my own." It was a reminder that there was a part of Lula's life that I knew little about. As if sensing the direction of my thoughts she said, "Stephanie, I know you think you are gonna end up looking like Elvira here, but you're not. This outfit is important if you are going to make Goodson believe that you intend to inflict pain on him and show him a good time. It's outside of your experience but it ain't outside of his. You gotta trust me on this one."

I looked at her. Her size sixteen body was crammed into size twelve spandex. She overflowed at all edges. Her hair was in blonde Shirley Temple ringlets. Her nails were sculpted acrylics, painted purple with little rhinestones set in at the tips. She was one hundred percent comfortable in her own skin. I threw my arms around her. "I trust you, Lula, and thank you for everything you've done today."

I was wearing black boots that came to my knees. They were decorated with metal studs along the outside seam and had four inch spike heels made of steel. I thought the heels could be a weapon if things went bad. The boots were a little loose but I didn't complain. I knew these were from Lula's closet.

Sally came in to look at me. It was his turn to work his magic. He pointed me to a bench in front of an antique dressing table. "Sit," he commanded. I sat gingerly expecting to be pinched by the chainmail. I wasn't. It was completely comfortable. There was a small combination lock that dangled from a chain that attached to the front of the g-string. Someone's homage to a chastity belt, I was sure. Sally pulled my hair up in a lose topknot and began to apply makeup.

"The idea is to make you look like you have some hard edges," he said. He worked for a while and then pulled out a long black wig.

"I am going to look like Elvira," I complained.

"No, you're not," he assured me. When he was finished I stood again in front of the full length mirror. Except for my blue eyes I recognized nothing, and my eyes seemed somehow different. Sally had done an excellent job shading and contouring my face. The wig was black with a blue sheen and fell past my shoulders without a hint of curl. I was Lilith. Stephanie had gone into hiding.

"I think you guys did a great job," but I can't go out in public like this. I'd get arrested."

"There's more to this outfit," Lula said handing me a black leather wrap coat. I slipped it on and wrapped it around me tying the belt with a sharp tug. The coat covered everything except two or three inches of leg above the boots.

"When you get to his door to pick him up loosen the belt and open the coat so he gets a full frontal view," Lula said. "I know how important this night is" Lula said "so I'm going to let you borrow this. Tank gave it to me and I tried it out on Jimmy Johnson one night at Shorty's. It works great." I looked down at her hand.

"You're giving me your blackberry?" I asked.

"Look again, Stephanie."

I did look again. I picked up the phone and gasped as I realized what I had in my hand. "It's a stun gun!"

"Damn skippy," Lula said. "And that blinking green light don't mean no voice mail. It means fully charged, and this here gun can stun five times on one charge. I only tested it twice on Jimmy but it still had plenty of juice left after two."

I looked at the clock and realized it was time to go. Lula would follow me in her Firebird and when I made it safely to the cop shop she would motor on back home. Her dislike of cops was well known. I got in the Porsche and shifted smoothly through the gears, my mind on what was going to happen. I felt only the slightest tingle of nervousness. I knew the plan was a good one. It had been hastily but thoroughly concocted. I felt there was still an unknown element. The bond wasn't set at a quarter of million for no reason and I didn't know that reason. Vinnie wanted Ranger to bring Goodson in. Was that because he was dangerous or because Vinnie had so much money tied up in him? I was betting on the latter.

I pulled up in front of Goodson's building. My purse was safely tucked out of view behind the passenger seat. Lula's blackberry stun gun was in my coat pocket. I walked to the doorman and said, "I'm here to pick up Mr. Goodson. He didn't bat an eye but said that I was expected and to go on up. The elevator door opened on the eleventh floor and as I stepped out I looked up and down the hallway. It was empty. Time to get my brave on I thought. I loosened the belt and opened the coat, and my nipples led the way down the hall. I was in front of Eleven thirty five when the door to an apartment down the hall opened. I turned, the coat swirling around me, to see Dickie Orr exiting his apartment. The look on his face was one of surprise, followed by one of burgeoning lust, followed by one of jaw dropping recognition. Without a word he turned and ran to the stairwell, not waiting for the elevator.

I pulled leather gloves out of the coat pocket and put them on. Taking a deep breath I knocked on the door. It swung open and Charles Goodson stood before me. He didn't look dangerous, but considering my own appearance I was reminded that looks could be deceiving. I reached out with my gloved hands and, remembering Lula's instructions, roughly ran them up his chest. I grasped the collar of his shirt and pulled him toward me.

"Hello, Drakul," I purred in what I hoped was a husky seductive voice. "I've come to take you to a place where you will be very happy." He eyes traveled downward lingering on my breasts. He reached out his hand but I drew back, "No, No." I purred, "You've been naughty. You can look, but you can't touch…yet." I had no idea if this was what he had been expecting but he stepped forward into the hall and pulled his door shut behind him. He was confident for an FTA, never bothering to look right or left, but simply following me to the elevator. I pressed the button and happily the door slid open immediately. I stood in the corner of the elevator some distance from him, letting him look.

We made our way across the lobby and out to the Porsche. I opened the passenger door and he got in. I took my coat off holding the blackberry in one gloved hand the key fob in the other. I leaned in to drop my coat behind the seat displaying my full costume in close proximity to his face. I walked in front of the car to slide into the driver's seat. I started the engine and leaned across him to grasp his seat belt. "I'm going to buckle you in," I said without a smile. "I wouldn't want you to get hurt on the way." I must have been doing something right as I saw the front of his pants tighten as my hand slid the belt across.

"I'm going to call Madam Vancha," I said raising the blackberry. "I'll need to let her know our time of arrival." I held the blackberry up toward my ear and swung it across the close confines of the Porsche to tag his neck. There was a small sizzle and his head lolled forward. I set the little stun gun in the console and slipped the car in gear. I pulled out of the drive and onto the street and made my way toward the Trenton PD building. I saw headlights behind me flash as an indication that Lula was following. There wasn't much traffic and it was only about a ten minute trip to the police headquarters. I drove well within the speed limit, not wanting to attract any attention. My coat was behind the seat and I didn't want to get pulled over in what I was wearing. I was still a few minutes out when I heard a moan and saw Goodson's hand twitch. I didn't hesitate. I picked up the gun and sizzled him again. I pulled into the police building parking lot and parked in the unloading zone. The Firebird sped by with a toot of the horn. I knew this lot was video monitored so I wasted no time in getting out and slipping my coat back on, securing the belt tightly around my waist. I went inside to get help bringing Goodson in. I showed my paperwork and it was accomplished in short order. Goodson was drooling and semi conscious by the time they hauled him away.

I had a dilemma. I didn't know the officer manning the desk. In order for my plan to be successful Morelli had to hear about it. I was wondering what to do, getting a mildly interested look from them man behind the counter. Salvation walked in, in the form of Eddie Gazarra, my friend and my cousin Shirley's husband.

"Hi, Eddie," I said.

"Hi," he looked up, "Stephanie?"

"Yeah," I laughed. "It's me. I just brought in Charles Goodson. Big payday." I waved the body receipt in front of him.

"I thought, Joe told me you were quitting."

"I'm quitting Joe," I said softly. "Would you tell him that you saw me? That I brought in Goodson?" I asked. I saw understanding light his eyes. He reached out and gave me a quick hug and heard the tinkle of metal.

"Don't ask," I said. "Joe's not the only one who can go undercover."

"Stephanie," Eddie said looking me directly in the eyes, "I heard that you've been through something pretty rough. Come see us whenever you want. I won't even ask you to babysit. I'll give Joe a call before I go to bed tonight. Take care." He turned and walked through double doors into the main department and I turned and pushed through the door to the parking lot.

I sat in the Porsche for a moment and looked at my cell phone. Ten o'clock. One hour's work had netted me twenty five thousand dollars. I was going to give it to Ranger. I didn't know if he'd accept it but I had to make the offer. I couldn't imagine what it cost him to bring me back from Costa Rica. If he wouldn't take it then I'd be very generous with Lula. I couldn't have done any of it without her. I wondered if Joe would call. It was the cowardly way out but I shut off my cell phone. I made the decision to spend the night on seven. Ranger was gone and it wouldn't be the first time I had used his apartment to hide out. I didn't want to talk with Joe.

I pulled into the Rangeman garage a short time later. I got out and hurried toward the elevator. I hoped whoever was on the monitors would be able to look past the black hair and leather to recognize me. I looked toward the camera in the corner and gave a little finger wave.

The apartment was dark. I flipped on a light in the foyer and set the body receipt on the credenza. I sat the Porsche keys on top. I walked slowly into the living room. It had been months since I last visited but everything looked the same. Ella's daily presence kept plants watered and kept the apartment from having a vacant feel. I slid the coat off my shoulders looking down at myself. Lula and I had pulled it off, I thought. When I awoke that morning I'd never imagined that I'd be standing in Ranger's apartment wearing ridiculously fake nipples. I sent a small prayer heavenward in thanksgiving for the gift of Lula in my life.

Tiredness seeped through me and I decided to go to bed. I would avail myself of one of Rangers t-shirts and get a good night's sleep. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my heart raced, skipping beats. Ranger! I could feel Ranger. I swung around taking in the room and hallway. I went to the bedroom and looked into the bathroom. The apartment was empty. I was emotionally on edge. I must be reacting to the memories of this place I thought. I breathed in. Was there the faintest scent of Bulgari? No. Get a grip I told myself.

I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the boots off. Standing I pulled the wig from my head and loosened my hair, running my fingers through the wild tangle. I pulled the dress up over my head and let it fall to the floor. I held my hands to my breasts fingering the miniature instruments of torture dangling from my plastic nipples. I edged my fingernail under the latex of one breast and attempted to separate it from my skin. Nip grip, indeed! It was a strong adhesive and I had a decision to make. Did I ease it off bit by bit, prolonging the pain or just yank. I just yanked. Little spots danced in front of my eyes and I clasped my hands over my wounded nipple. I heard a sound and swung around to see Ricardo Carlos Manoso standing in the doorway.

The look of raw lust in his eyes stunned me. This was no blank faced Ranger, or no passion filled Ranger. The man standing a few feet away from me had unadulterated carnal hunger emanating from him. I stayed very still. Was he reacting to Stephanie or Lilith? I wondered. It was a good question but I wasn't sure there was a good answer. He was dressed in black cargos and a black t-shirt. His feet were bare and his hair was loose around his shoulders. There was more than a hint of a five o'clock shadow. He crossed the room silently grasped my hands removing them from my breast. Gently he cradled it in his hand. He bent his head and caressed my wounded nipple with his tongue, laving it and taking it into his mouth gently sucking. His other hand was at my back pushing me closer to him. Desire erupted, warming me and causing my skin to flush. Little tendrils of electricity skittered in a direct path from nipple to belly. He pulled back slightly and rubbed his fingers over the remaining latex nipple. Slowly methodically and patiently he lifted the edges of latex and painlessly removed the remaining nipple. He held it in his hands rolling it back and forth for a moment before dropping it to bounce on the floor next to the one I had discarded.

My legs were jelly. I swayed forward as Ranger took my newly freed nipple in his mouth. He gave it equal attention to the other one. The wave of feeling started in my belly and grew so fast that it overtook me completely. My knees buckled and he caught me as the first wave of an unexpected ecstasy washed over me. I melted into him and he held me close as I began to cry with the joy of release.

10. A Conversation Before The Storm

Ranger held me, his hands running up and down my back in soft caresses. He was silent, not uttering a word. I couldn't stop crying, but I wanted to. I could feel evidence of his arousal against my abdomen and I knew unless I got my emotions under control nothing else would happen no matter how much either of us wanted it. He slowly walked me toward the bed and sat me on the edge. He turned and walked toward his closet returning with a Rangeman t-shirt in one hand and a box of tissues in the other. I blew my nose and hiccupped and tried valiantly to stop my tear production. I was only moderately successful. I pulled the t-shirt over my head covering my very sensitive breasts.

Ranger pulled back the covers and I shimmied out of my chainmail g-string, letting it fall to the floor with a metallic clink. I slid into bed and waited for him to undress and follow. It didn't happen. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at me for a long time before he finally said, "I know there is an explanation and I don't want to push you if you aren't up to it, but I'd certainly like to hear it." His hand reached up and pushed my curls away from my face.

I looked at him and saw no hint of the hunger I had previously seen. I thought it was still there, somewhere behind the shutter that had closed off all emotion. His lips were pulled into a tight line and his eyes seemed to be looking completely through me. "Babe, you've been through a lot recently. First your ordeal in Costa Rica and then obviously something tonight but I can't even begin to imagine what. I think you should tell me."

I didn't like what I was hearing. Here I was undressed in Ranger's bed and he was, in effect, patting me on the head and saying, 'be a good little girl, and tell Ranger what's wrong'.

"Ranger," I asked slowly, "Are you being condescending?" I knew the question had surprised him, but I thought it was valid, so I continued. "Yes, I went through a terrible time in Costa Rica. I will be eternally grateful to you for getting me out of that, but that's over. I am here in your apartment and I have a good reason for wanting to stay here tonight. I didn't know you would be home and I was, once again, going to encroach on your hospitality and spend the night. If you want to make love to me that is a-ok with me. If you want to send me on my way, that's okay too. What isn't okay is for you to tuck me into bed like some wounded child and expect me to tell all my troubles to you."

I saw surprise and irritation in his face now. "I am not treating you like a child," he said. I am not being condescending. I came home to find that you'd borrowed the Porsche without so much as a word of explanation to Tank, other than you needed it. I'd been in my apartment only a few minutes when you came bursting in looking like, well, looking like I don't know what." His words were clipped, his voice remained low and softly modulated. Ranger was pissed and trying very hard not to show it.

"A dominatrix prostitute," I suggested.

An eyebrow rose nearly to his hair line, "All right a dominatrix prostitute. I think even the most disinterested person would be curious about this, and I am far from disinterested."

I sighed, "I went after a skip. A high bond Vinnie had saved back for you, and I got him. There is a body receipt on the credenza worth twenty five thousand dollars. I did it so that I could repay you for money and effort it cost you to get me home. And…" I hesitated. "There was another reason. It was the most efficient way of letting Joe know that it's over. Really over."

"What was the fight with Morelli about this time?" he asked. I heard just the smallest tinge of condescension.

"There was no fight with Morelli," I said. "Joe is going undercover. I don't know all the details but he will be gone for six months to a year. When he gets back he wants to marry me, but he has conditions. I have to give up bounty hunting. I brought Goodson in tonight and I made sure Joe will hear all the details. Now he knows. Now he can go and try to infiltrate the Rivera organization."

My thoughts suddenly veered toward Jorge Rivera and the reports of his death. Changing the subject with no warning I asked, "Did you kill Jorge and Manuel?"

"Babe."

"Ranger," I said, "don't 'babe' me. I need to know."

"Does it matter?" he asked wearily. He got up from the bed and turned with his back to me. "Would it change your perception of me or my job?" I didn't answer immediately. I was thinking about it and trying to formulate an answer. I was an ordinary girl from Jersey and even with my present occupation, murder, however justified, is outside the realm of my daily life.

Ranger sighed deeply, "No, I didn't kill him. I had every intention of doing so but someone beat me to it. I would never have done it in such a public fashion. If I'd done it he would have simply disappeared."

"Manuel?" I asked.

"No," he replied. "Not Manuel either. As I understood it Manuel was already in New York reorganizing things for his father when news of Jorge's death reached him. He was on his way to Costa Rica to settle his father's business when the plane went down."

"Was it an accident?"

"I don't know, babe. It's probably the same plane they smuggled you out of the country in." He turned and faced me. "You weren't in good shape when I got you out. Instead of going back for Rivera I stayed with you. After you went home I was able to disrupt some of the lines of communication with Rivera's organization, but he was already gone. He was in hiding somewhere. I feel certain that his death was not at his own hand and whoever did it wanted to make sure that it was a public event."

Ranger ran his hands over his face and rolled his shoulders in an apparent attempt to assuage his weariness. It was such an unconsciously sexy move that I had to concentrate hard on his words. "I knew that Morelli would be going undercover," he said. "There is a tremendous potential for someone new to rise to power now. There may be an all out mob war for control of Rivera's holdings. It would be a great thing if the FBI could place someone who could climb high in the organization. That's what the plan is for Morelli. Did he tell you all this?"

My mouth dropped open. I sputtered trying to get my words out. "How could you possibly know all that? You were in the wind before I was abducted, and then you were in Costa Rica. You did just get back didn't you?" I was suspicious. Had Tank been withholding information from me?

"Yes, I just got back. If you hadn't shown up I'd be asleep by now. I've been awake over twenty four hours." I looked closely at his face. There were lines of fatigue and the blank look was gone for the moment. I saw dark shadows under his eyes. His hair, usually pulled back smoothly from his face into a ponytail was hanging on his shoulders. His face seemed thinner, maybe from the shadow of his beard. He had just ambushed me and given me the most unexpected orgasm of my life. I think I surprised him as well as myself. He was walking closer to the bed and all I could think was that he was the sexiest man I had ever seen. My breathing became shallow. I shook my head as if to clear my musings and get my thoughts back on track. It didn't work. The decision to give Ranger his distance had flown out the window.

"I'm sorry that I just barged in here unannounced. Joe asked me to marry him when he gets back. I knew he wouldn't listen if I said no, so I decided to show him in the best way I could that I wasn't going to be his wife. I decided to sleep here tonight because I didn't want to deal with him. I thought he might come by the apartment and I didn't want to be there.

"Why, because you're afraid he could talk you into changing your mind?"

"No," I said. "I'm not afraid that he would talk me into changing my mind. I am resolute in my decision. I am just afraid that he will try, and I don't want to deal with that tonight."

Ranger came and sat back on the edge of the bed. He reached out and pulled me against him holding me close for a few moments, then winding his fingers through my hair he brought my face to his. Slowly he moved his head closer until his lips were barely touching mine. The kiss was the softest touch of him on me and we stayed that way for a moment, and then he was probing at my lips with his tongue, demanding an entry which I eagerly welcomed. It was if he was taking sustenance from me, drawing something he needed from me. He broke away and laid his forehead against mine both of us breathing deeply.

"You can sleep here tonight, babe. I'll don't want you to have to deal with an angry Morelli, but I'm not sure I blame him for being angry. I might feel the same way in his situation. I'll find a place to crash on four. I think there is an apartment open.

"Ranger, don't go," I pleaded. "Stay here with me, in this bed."

"Babe," he sighed, "I can't. I've never lied to you and I won't now. I want to get into the bed, but if I do I won't leave a centimeter of you untouched. I've told you before that I'm an opportunist and I am, but I won't take advantage of you tonight. I can't offer you anything but sex and I think you'd want more from me. Right now you're missing Morelli and you are still recovering from Costa Rica. I can't take advantage of that."

I was stunned. I hadn't said anything about emotions. I hadn't made any demands. I was embarrassed that he thought I was incapable of sex without emotional entanglement. I was incapable, because I was in love with him, but I thought I'd hidden it better than that.

"Esperanza gave me a message for you," Ranger said. "She would like you to come back and visit her and Diego's _**pensión**_. She wants you to remember her country as a beautiful place of peace, and she prays that you will recover from your trauma. I think you should go, babe."

My head was spinning from the things he'd said. "Esperanza?" I said, "I wouldn't have a clue how to find her."

"She's Silvio's grandma. If you decide to go he can help you with the details. I'm going down to four. Good night Stephanie." He turned and walked from the bedroom. I heard the door click shut and I was alone in the apartment.

I lay back in my thinking position on Ranger's bed. Half the time he treated me as if I were a needy child. I didn't appreciate it. When we were partners he treated me as a professional. Granted it was a professional with skills far inferior to his own. Now he was offering placating little explanations of why we couldn't be together that were not placating me at all. I missed my friend. I wanted my lover back but that apparently wasn't my choice. I made a decision and gave myself no time for second thoughts.

I got out of bed and walked around the room picking up my scattered bits of costume. I stuffed them in my purse. I pulled on Lula's above the knee studded leather boots and slipped into the black leather coat securing it tightly around me. It wasn't my normal attire but I'd lost the hooker look. I went to the foyer and looked longingly at the keys to the Porsche. I pulled the keys to the SUV I was using out of my purse and headed for the garage. I was moving into my old apartment permanently starting tonight. If I had to deal with Morelli in the middle of the night I could do it. I would use the Rangeman SUV and return it as soon as I could get my latest POS car running. The words to an old song popped into my head and out loud in the middle of the stairwell I said to no one, "I am woman, I will survive."

I entered my apartment and went to the kitchen to check on Rex and plug my cell phone into charge. I went to my bed and pulled the covers back scrambling in and falling back on my pillow. I punched my pillow and closed my eyes realizing I could detect the faintest scent of Bulgari from the Rangeman shirt. Strangely comforted, I fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

I awoke to a still dark apartment but the bedside clock told me it was early morning. I listened to the quiet. I could hear the distant rustle of Rex's wheel. He was starting his daily exercise program early. I got out of bed and went into the bathroom to take care of morning business. I left the light on and walked down the hall. I rounded the corner into the kitchen to check messages on my cell.

I flipped on the light and looked on the counter and sure enough the message light was blinking. I thought I knew who'd called. Before I could check for messages, I heard the sound of a car engine turning over. The high performance engine whine sounded familiar and not like anything I usually heard coming out of my parking lot. I hurried to the window and looked out in time to see a black Porsche turbo pull out of my lot. I wasn't surprised that someone at Rangeman had let Ranger know of my departure. I was surprised the he followed me and spent the night in my parking lot. Was he protecting me from Morelli? Was he checking to see if I'd let Morelli stay if he'd shown up? I didn't know, and I didn't know whether to be pleased or angered that he'd come at all. He was very concerned with my emotional and physical state, and yet I thought maybe he needed to give some concern to his own well being. Even batman needs a little sleep.

I picked up my phone and dialed voice mail to listen to a message that I knew I didn't want to hear.

11. The Storm

I was right. The voice mail was from Joe. I don't know what I expected but it certainly wasn't the calm almost friendly message I got. By the time I was done listening I realized that I had been goading Joe, daring him to respond in anger. I thought maybe I needed to rethink my motivation for getting Goodson and bringing him in to the Trenton PD in such a way. I hit the button for replay and listened one more time.

"Cupcake, I talked to Gazarra. I understand that you've made your decision. I'm sorry. I wanted a life with you but I guess you don't with me. I hope you have a great life. I won't ever forget what we've been through but I can't keep living like we have, so maybe it's for the best. I'm sorry it ended this way." I deleted the message and disconnected. Before I could even set the phone down it buzzed in my palm. I didn't check the caller ID.

"Joe?" I said, my voice choked with an emotion I didn't understand.

"Stephanie!" Connie's voice sounded strained. "Oh my God! Stephanie. It's terrible." I heard sobbing on the line. My heart leapt to my throat.

"Connie, what's wrong? Are you in trouble?"

"It's Vinnie," she sobbed. "Lucille just called. He...He woke up dead."

"What?" I questioned not completely believing what I'd heard.

"He's dead. His alarm went off and he didn't get up to shut it off and Lucille shook him to wake him up and he's dead. She asked me to come over. I can't go over there alone. Will you come with me?"

"Yes, of course." We made plans for her to pick me up and I disconnected and hurried to get ready.

When we entered Vinnie's house an hour later there was already a crowd. Vinnie didn't live in the Burg any longer, but he had plenty of family who did. Lucille seemed to be very calm although her eyes were red rimmed and swollen from crying. She came over to us and thanked us for coming.

"Connie," Lucille said, "I called you because Vinnie always told me that if anything happened to him I should give you this paper. It's about the business."

Connie took the paper and hugged Lucille, "I just can't believe it Lucille. I've worked for Vinnie since high school. I can't believe he's gone. What happened?"

Lucille voice was soft but unwavering. "I don't know. They came and picked him up a little while ago. They are going to do an autopsy before they take him to Stiva's." We all started shedding tears at the same time. To be honest I didn't even like Vinnie, but he was family and death is a horrible thing. It reminds us all that we're not really in charge.

"Lucille," I asked is there anything we can do?"

"Your mother and grandma are bringing food over this afternoon," she said. "It would ease my mind if you and Connie took care of the business. It is what Vinnie wanted."

We stayed for a short time longer and then left to go to the bonds office. We didn't know what else to do. We arrived to find Lula pacing back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the locked door. "It's about time," she said. I thought I was gonna have to shoot the lock off. Where've you been?" Connie unlocked the door and let Lula and myself in. I told Lula where we'd been and why. We all sat in silence.

"I don't want to seem disrespectful to the dead," Lula said, "but what's this gonna do to us?"

"I don't know," Connie said, "but I think we should close today at least until we can find out what's going on. Lucille gave me this piece of paper that says to call Vinnie's lawyer. I know Vinnie's lawyer. It's George Kyzinski, but this paper says I am to call Dickie Orr immediately if he dies, and it's written in Vinnie's own hand!" Her voice had risen as she was speaking and she ended up in a wail which led to a new round of tears from us all.

"I think Vinnie would want us to have a donut," Lula said. "I'm going to the Tasty Pastry." She picked up her purse and headed for the door as if she couldn't escape fast enough.

Connie looked over at me. "I'm sorry Steph, but I have to call Dickie."

"You don't need to apologize to me," I said. "Let's make sure Dickie knows about Vinnie. Maybe he has some information about Vinnie's plans for the bonds office." Ten minutes later Connie got off the phone. Before she could say anything Lula came in with a large bag of donuts. She placed three napkins on Connie's desk and began pulling donuts out of the bag, dealing them out like playing cards.

When the bag was empty Connie said, "Here's what Dickie said. He said we should close the office until after the funeral. He said there were plans in place to keep the office open and that none of us would lose our jobs. He wants to meet with Stephanie and me in his office tomorrow morning at nine. And we're not supposed to tell anyone." We both looked at Lula.

"What?" she said. "My lips are sealed."

We left the bonds office a short time later, locking the door behind us. Connie had put a sign in the window saying that we were temporarily closed and would reopen within the week. She left a similar message on the answering machine. We all hoped it was true.

"What about our stack of FTAs?" I asked.

"I don't know," Connie said. "I can write checks for body receipts and I can bond people out but my license is under Vinnie's. Now that he's…" She gulped obviously fighting back tears, "…gone I don't know if I still have authority to do that. I guess that's what we can ask Dickie about tomorrow. I still can't figure out why he used Dickie for the business without telling me."

"I can't either," I said. Connie ran the business and she did a good job of it. I thought she knew everything about Vinnie including a bunch of stuff that she probably didn't want to think about. I had always heard 'Don't speak ill of the dead', but the truth is Vinnie was a pervert.

I went back to my apartment and was filled with a strange restlessness. I wanted to call Joe and tell him about Vinnie but Joe was already gone, and I needed to call my mom and talk to her about it. I decided to call Ranger. I figured that I'd just get voice mail because he was probably sleeping.

He answered his phone. "Yo." His voice was low and throaty and I thought I'd roused him from a deep sleep.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I knew you would be sleeping since you spent the night in my parking lot, but I have something important to tell you."

"I'm not sleeping," he said, totally ignoring my parking lot comment. "I'm in my office catching up on some paperwork. I got a couple hours sleep this morning. What's up?"

"Vinnie's dead," I blurted out. "Lucille called Connie this morning. He just didn't wake up and they are going to do an autopsy."

"Are you alright?" he asked. "Do you need me to come over?" I thought about it. Did I need him to come over? No. Did I want him to? Yes. I wanted him to come over just as I had wanted to spend the night in his bed, but I wasn't going to admit it. I was starting to think he saw me as a needy little screw up that it was his duty to rescue. I was going to change that somehow.

"No," I said. "I need to go to my mom's. Vinnie was family and I'm sure there are things my mom will want me to do."

"All right," Ranger said, then, "Does Dickie Orr know about Vinnie's death?"

I was silent. I counted to ten and then said in a carefully controlled voice, "How could you possibly know that Lucille had instructions for Connie to call Dickie? Am I wired for sound"? Am I being monitored by Rangeman?"

"Babe," he said and he disconnected.

I went to my mom and dad's house and spent the rest of the day there. I felt a need to be close to my family. I wondered briefly how my life would change now that Vinnie was gone. I was having trouble grasping the fact that Vinnie was dead. I didn't know how old he was. Somewhere between my age and my dad's I thought, but that was a pretty big span. He seemed to be healthy. He didn't smoke and he drank very little. Most of Vinnie's vices had been sexual in nature. Lucille was a church going woman so I imagined Vinnie would go out with High Mass at St. Michael's. The viewing would be at Stiva's but no doubt the funeral would be in church. I wondered how long it had been since Vinnie was in church.

It crossed my mind that if Ranger hadn't saved me from Rivera in Costa Rica it could be my funeral the family was preparing for. Then I tried to figure out how long it had been since I'd been to Mass. All in all it was a day for sobering thoughts.

The next morning Connie and I arrived promptly for our appointment with Dickie. Between Rivera and Dickie the building was rapidly becoming one of my least favorite places in Trenton. Dickie ushered us into his office, and I could see he was nervous. I thought about telling him I was on my best behavior, but I changed my mind and thought I'd just let him sweat a little.

Connie and I were sitting in comfortable arm chairs facing Dickie who was ensconced behind a huge mahogany desk. "Okay," he said. "I've got quite a bit to tell you. So I guess I'll just begin at the beginning. You probably know that Vinnie had a silent partner at the bonds office."

"Yeah," Connie said. "it's Harry, Lucille's dad."

"Not anymore," Dickie said. "Two years ago Harry's share of the business was bought out. Harry wanted out, and the corporation that purchased Harry's share of the business did so with the promise of the transaction being kept secret. There were quite a few changes made at that time. Vinnie took out a large insurance policy payable to his heirs on his death."

Dickie picked up a pencil and began nervously drumming it against the desktop. "A year ago Vinnie came in and amended his will," he continued. "Lucille is aware of this. I can't go into details with you but Vinnie left Lucille a very wealthy woman. He was a pretty sharp businessman and the bonds office is a high revenue business. When Vinnie amended his will he did so to fulfill some of the changes that were arbitrated when Harry's share was sold." Dickie stopped to take a breath and Connie and I shot a look at each other.

"Who's the silent partner, Dickie?" I asked. I had a tiny knot of dread in my belly and it was growing bigger every minute. Dickie Orr was honest, but Harry and Vinnie were anything but. I was afraid that I was going to hear we were owned by the mob. Just one of life's little ironies that I refused to give up bounty hunting for Morelli, but I would give it up if we were owned by the mob.

DIckie continued as if I hadn't spoken. "Vinnie has remembered you both in his will. He has bequeathed a considerable amount to you. Stephanie you will inherit fifty one percent of Vinnie's share of the business. Connie you will get forty nine percent." There was silence in the room while we sat stunned not quite believing what we'd heard.

"There are two options for you to choose from. There is a large insurance policy attached to the business and the two of you are beneficiaries. Option one is for you to take the insurance money and buy the silent partner out making you the owners of the entire business still with the fifty one—forty nine percent split. Option two is for you to take the insurance money and sell the business to the silent partner. Everyone now employed would become employees of the new owner and would retain their present positions with the company. With either option the name would remain 'Vincent Plum Bail Bonds'.

There are a couple more things. The decision has to be a mutual one. You two must agree totally on which option you choose, and the second thing is I'll need a decision within forty eight hours. There is a time factor involved because I'll have to file new license applications if you decide to keep the business. As long as I get them filed quickly you won't lose the ability to get any outstanding skips you presently have. Or if you sell out to the partner different paperwork will need to be started. We will plan to meet after the funeral for your answer. Any questions?"

I looked at Connie. Her face was pale, her lipstick a red slash across her face. Her eyes were the size of quarters staring at me with disbelief. I thought I might look much the same.

"Yeah, Dickie," I said. "Who is the silent partner?"

"I shouldn't say until the reading of the will, and that will be after the funeral when all involved parties can be present. The partner doesn't really play into your decision."

"Oh, but it does, Dickie." I said. "If I find out that the partner is one of Harry's associates then it makes a big difference in our decision."

" Rangeman," he said. "The silent partner is Rangeman. Specifically, Carlos Manoso."

12. Another Forty-Eight

Connie and I sat across my dining room table staring at one another. There was an empty wine bottle laying on its side and another half gone sitting upright. There was a piece of paper in front of Connie that had two words on it, pro and con. We were debating the pro and cons of operating our own bail bonds business. It was early afternoon and we were well on our way to being hammered. We had called Lula immediately after leaving Dickie's and told her everything we had heard. We asked her to come and help us decide what to do and she declined.

"Oh no," she said so loudly that Connie had to hold her phone from her ear enabling us both to hear. "I'm not getting caught in the middle of this. This has to be your decision on account of this will change all our lives. I can't help you make that kind of decision." And so we sat drinking wine, staring at each other and making no headway.

Finally Connie said, "Ranger seems to be a good boss. His men like him and are loyal to him." I said nothing. She drained her wine glass and taking my silence for assent she said, "Okay," she said I'm just gonna say it. I want to buy Rangeman out. I know quite a bit about the business and we are both fast learners and we could do it."

Surprised at her outburst I finally, hesitantly, spoke, "It makes the best sense to sell to Rangeman. We would have our insurance and whatever our half of the business is worth. We'd have enough money that we wouldn't have to work for Rangeman. We could do whatever we want."

"All right," Connie said. "We'll sell to Rangeman."

"I said it made sense to sell to Rangeman." I stood up so abruptly that the room started to spin so I held tightly to the edge of the table. "I didn't say I wanted to sell to Rangeman."

"Okay," Connie said, "If you don't want to sell we won't sell."

"I don't know what I want," I said morosely. "Wait a minute, that's not true. I do know what I want. I want Vinnie not to be dead. I want Morelli not to be undercover. I want Ranger not to be an ass. I want him to sleep in my bed and when he does I don't really want him to sleep. I let go of the table and wobbled but remained upright. I turned and bouncing off the hallway walls made my way to the bathroom just in time to revisit the wine I'd consumed. My eyes were watering and I swiped my hand across them smearing mascara across my face. I returned to the dining room a few minutes later to find Connie standing by the table, her purse strap hitched over her shoulder.

"I'm going home Stephanie. I don't think the wine was a good idea. Let's just think about it tonight and we'll talk after the viewing tomorrow. Is that okay?" I shook my head yes and locked the door after she left. I took a quick shower and pulled the Rangeman t-shirt I'd been sleeping in for the past couple of nights on over my chaotic tumble of damp curls. My last conscious thought as I lay in my thinking position was I could still smell Bulgari.

I awoke a couple of hours later with a pounding headache. I pulled on my jeans and CAT boots and pulled my hair into a rough ponytail. I glanced in the mirror and was taken aback at how truly awful I looked. There were dark circles under my eyes, partly from lack of sleep and partly from left over mascara. My hair was half contained in a ponytail with manic corkscrews sticking out at all angles. I didn't care. Getting to McDonalds for fries and a coke was my top priority.

As I sat in the parking lot of McDonalds eating my fries and drinking my coke my mind was spinning. I had so much to think about and another forty eight hours to make a decision that would change my life.

I was sure I'd made the right decision the first time. Joe was now part of my past. I hoped he would be part of my future but in a different capacity. I had a moment of clarity that left me stunned. The same things that made Joe and me good together also made a marriage between us impossible. We had commonality. We grew up in the same neighborhood, knew the same people. I didn't have to worry about my wacky family scaring him away because he had family issues of his own. He fit into my burg lifestyle. He knew exactly what he wanted in a wife and there were examples of Burg wives all around us. I just couldn't conform to that standard and he couldn't overcome his desire for the stereotype. I hoped someday we'd be friends.

Joe had become a habit, and habits are hard to break. I missed the habit of Joe, and with Ranger's growing reserve I could hardly call him a habit. I hadn't had much contact with him since before he'd been in the wind, except of course for his rescuing me from Costa Rica and surprising me the other night in his apartment. "Okay," I told myself. "You know he wants you." He wanted me bad! And that's probably the reason he was making himself scarce. Ranger and I had no history before he became my Henry Higgins. If Joe and I couldn't make it as a couple with everything we'd shared then how could Ranger and I ever make it. Our life experiences had been vastly different, and we didn't seem to have much in common, except of course unbelievable sexual chemistry.

Ranger said he didn't do relationships but many of his actions indicated that he did. Maybe Ranger wasn't as brave as people thought. Maybe he was afraid of intimacy. He said he couldn't be in a relationship because it wouldn't be safe for me. What if he was too afraid to be vulnerable, so he used his job as an excuse?

I became aware that I was still sitting in the McDonald's parking lot, my fries and coke both history. I looked at my watch to find it was after four. In a fit of rebellion I threw my trash into the back seat of the pristine Rangeman SUV and headed for Haywood. I thought Ranger and I needed to discuss his silent partnership with Vinnie.

I pulled into the parking garage and made my way to the lobby, bypassing my usual direct route to five. Binkie, one of Ranger's newer employees had desk duty. "Hey," I said, "is the boss man in?"

Binkie gave me a startled look. "Yeah," he said. He looked at the monitor. "He's in his office. I'll let him know you're coming up."

"No," I said firmly. "It'll be a surprise."

"Yes, it will," Binkie said still staring at me as I crossed the foyer to the elevator. I got off the elevator and rounded the corner to come to a dead stop in Ranger's doorway. Jean Ellen Burrows, dressed in black from her form fitting cashmere sweater to her stacked heel Tory Burch boots was standing with her arms wrapped around Ranger's neck. His hands were on her upper arms. Their heads turned in unison toward me. Jean Ellen, whom I'd thought until this moment, was his ex-lover, said, "Well, hello Stephanie. Long time no see. You're looking… well, you're looking a little stressed." I remembered my hair, my CAT boots, my wrinkled Rangeman t-shirt, and no bra. I knew why Binkie had stared.

Ignoring her I looked at Ranger. "Call me when you're not …" I glared at Jean Ellen, "busy. We have things to discuss." I turned to head back to the elevator and saw my reflection in the glass wall of the conference room. What was I thinking, I wondered. How could I have forgotten what I looked like and walked into Rangeman looking like an escapee from a circus side show? I was holding back tears as I waited for the elevator door to slide open. In all my musing about Ranger and his relationship issues I never considered that he was drawing away because he was seeing someone else. I felt nauseous and for a moment I was afraid I would further humiliate myself by losing my hangover cure all over the Rangeman floor. Then, mercifully, the elevator door slid open. I stepped inside and hit the G button. Before the door could slide shut Ranger stepped in next to me and pointed his key fob at the control panel. The doors closed and the elevator started upward toward seven. "We'll talk now, babe."

With effort I waited until we were alone in his apartment before I gave free reign to humiliation induced temper. I turned on him as soon as the door closed. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked meaning Jean Ellen. He assumed I was talking about the bonds office deal.

"I thought it was better that you didn't know. The original plan to buy Harry out had nothing to do with you. Harry was adamant that it be kept quiet. He never wanted anyone to know his business. I, also, like to keep my business dealings quiet."

"Vinnie never would have left the bonds office to me and Connie. Was that your idea?"

"Yes, but I never actually thought it would come to pass. You've talked to Dickie so you and Connie know your options. If I had died before Vinnie, you would have inherited my share of the business. It was all written up at the time of the transfer of shares."

"You made my being Vinnie's beneficiary part of the deal, and he accepted that?" I said skeptically.

"Yes, it was a very good deal for him in other ways so he was glad to give me that concession. Lucille has been left in a good position and she won't have to deal with any of the business details. She is unequipped emotionally and intellectually to do so."

"And you think I'm equipped to do so?"

"Yes," he said without pause, "but if you sell out to Rangeman you won't have to. You'll have a salary as well as a commission from your skip tracing if you want to continue with that part of the job. You will have the cash from the sale of your half to Rangeman and your share of the insurance. You'll have a company car and a benefits package, as will Connie and Lula."

"You'd give the file clerk as company car?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yes, and I'd expand her duties. She is capable of much more than she is doing." At last something we agreed on.

"Ranger, two years ago when this deal was going down, you'd just sent me back to Morelli. Why would you insist on these conditions being attached to the purchase of half the bonds business."

"Because I cared about you and I saw this as a way to help you if something happened to me. I never really considered that Vinnie would be the one to die. I thought with my line of work I was the likely one."

"So you did that for a friend?" I asked.

"Yes."

"But we weren't friends Ranger." His head lifted from his perusal of his boots and he shifted his gaze on me questioningly.

"We haven't been friends since the night we slept together, and we certainly aren't lovers. And that's the problem. I need you in my life in a defined way. If friendship is all you can give then okay, but I want to be your lover and I know you want it too." I flung my arms around his neck in the same way Jean Ellen had been draped on him. His hands went to my hair and dislodged my ponytail and he ran his fingers through the wild curls.

"Babe," he whispered, "I can't be your lover. I can be your sexual partner but it would damage you. And I care too much about you to hurt you." My desire mixed with anger.

"I'm a big girl Ranger, and I can take care of myself." He looked down at my rumpled t-shirt, my nipples making small twin tent poles against the front. I suddenly saw myself standing next to Jean Ellen. Her Tory Burch, sexy as hell, kick ass boots next to my Costco CAT boots. Her black cashmere sweater next to my rumpled t-shirt. She was cat woman next to his batman.

"I can see that you care for me," I said. "This partnership in the bonds office is proof of that. I see, too, that you already have a lover, or should I say sexual partner." I stared at him waiting for his denial. He was silent.

13. Reviewing a Plan

I let my hands drop to my sides but Ranger's hands stayed in my hair. I ached for him. I ached for what might have been. Where did we go wrong? One day I thought I could let him back away from me and the next day I thought I could seduce him into my bed. The truth was I was having an on again off again unrelationship with Ranger. I needed time to think things through. The suggestion that I revisit Costa Rica crossed my mind but I didn't think it could happen anytime soon. Running away from my problems seemed like a good idea even if I ran to the location where the problems started. Ranger was still holding my head in his hands staring deeply into my eyes. He often said he could tell what I was thinking by the expression on my face. I hoped it wasn't true right now.

Abruptly he turned loose of me and walked away. I followed him into his bedroom. He went into his closet and came out with a utility belt. I watched as he silently wrapped it around his hips and filled it with cuffs, mag light, and stun gun. He put on his Kevlar vest and pulled a black hooded sweatshirt over it. He picked up his glock and slipped it into the empty holster on the utility belt.

He looked up at me and without preface said, "Jean Ellen and I are not lovers, sexual partners, or at this point even working partners. We were lovers for six weeks. It ended the night you called me to uncuff you from your shower rod. She would like more, but our relationship remains strictly professional."

My eyes filled with tears, and as hard as I blinked they still spilled over. Ranger came to me and bent his head to kiss them away. He drew me to him and held me quietly in a tight embrace. "I know how hard it is to imagine another person in the place you want to be and I couldn't let you think I was sleeping with her. She went after Lester when I didn't respond to her. I think she was more successful with that endeavor."

"I know you've had lovers," I hinted. He knew that I'd had a good relationship with Joe. I knew on some level that he'd probably been seeing someone too, but the thought of him with another woman made me feel sick.

As if reading my thoughts Ranger said softly, "There have been night's I'd have happily killed Morelli."

"Well not anymore," I said. "There is no one in my bed, but I'd like there to be."

He stared at me solemnly for a moment and then softly brushed his lips against mine. "I have to go, babe. I've got a building site to check tonight with Tank. They are having problems with their system. Take the SUV home and keep it. When you and Connie sign the papers and officially become part of Rangeman it will be yours anyway."

"All right," I said wondering what would happen when we signed the papers saying we were buying out Rangeman's share, because I thought that would be Connie's decision and I knew it was mine. I didn't want Ranger for a boss.

The next day I arrived at my parents' house shortly before lunch. The viewing was scheduled for three that afternoon at Stiva's. I wasn't looking forward to it or the funeral. I didn't want to feel like a hypocrite but I wasn't all that broken up about Vinnie's departure. It mainly made me introspective about my own life and how much longer I would have the joy of Grandma Mazur in my life, and those thoughts made me a little sad.

I busied myself with helping Grandma set the table for lunch. "Did you hear they got a cause of death?" she asked me.

"No," I replied. "What did they find?"

"It was an aneurysm," she said. "It's like a bubble on a tire and when it blows it's all over for you. Vinnie was sleeping and he had a blow out and he never knew nothing. What a way to go."

"That's good to know" I said, not really knowing how to respond to the information.

"I wonder how Lucille is doing," Grandma continued. "I hope Vinnie had all his business in order. I don't think Lucille has ever worked a day in her life. It would be a shame if she had to start now."

"Well, actually," I began as my mother walked into the room. "I have something I need to tell you. I have some information about Vinnie's will. I have heard that he was very successful with his investments and that he left Lucille a very nice inheritance. It turns out he also remembered me in his will."

"Do you know what he left you?" Grandma asked.

"Yes," I said. "It's not clear cut but Lucille gave Connie some papers that Vinnie had prepared to be given to her in the event of his death, and it's looks like he has given Connie and I his shares in the bonds office."

"What," my mother said. "You and Connie would own the bonds office?"

"Well all the details aren't clear," I said "but yes we would own it. Vinnie had a partner and we would have the option of buying the partner out or selling to the partner." I waited for the usual rant about her daughter's choice of career but it didn't come.

"Well this is certainly a nice turn of events," she said with no sarcasm. "Being a bail bonds person will certainly be less dangerous than a bounty hunter. You wouldn't be doing bounty hunting anymore would you? I know that would make me happy and Joseph too. "

I was silent for a moment. I realized that my mom knew nothing of Joe's recent departure or his ultimatum before he left. I also realized that Vinnie's death had made it possible for me to fulfill the demand Joe had made. Would he come back and assume that I had done it to please him?

"I might still be acting as a BEA for awhile I said. Connie and I have a lot to discuss. We are meeting after the visitation. I think the plan would be for me to move into the role of a bail bondsman instead of bounty hunter, but it will take awhile to iron all the details out."

"I could help you out," Grandma said. "I could be your bounty hunter."

"Well Connie and I will certainly talk about it," I told her. "Mom, Joe is on an undercover operation now. He doesn't even know that Vinnie is dead. He is going to be gone for anywhere from six months to a year and I can't contact him."

"When did this happen?" she asked.

"A few days ago, and before he left we decided to end our relationship. It was actually his idea." That was mostly true.

"Stephanie, I didn't have any idea. Are you sure it's over?"

"I'm pretty sure, Mom. He said that he cared about me but that he thought it would be better if we weren't together." She was silent for awhile and I was waiting for her to begin nagging me on everything I'd done wrong. Again she surprised me.

"I'm sorry for you Stephanie. You must miss him." I did miss him. Right now with all the changes in my life it would have nice to have his support. When things were good with Joe they were very good, but more often than not they weren't good at all and I knew it was right for us to be over. I still felt his absence.

We arrived at Stiva's and were taken to view the body. I was filled with admiration for my grandma. She walked right up and looked at Vinnie with no qualms. "They do good work here. He looks better dead than he ever did alive." I turned to my Grandma and gave her a little smile then I sucked up my courage and looked at Vinnie. What she said was true. Vinnie looked peaceful. There was no lecherous expression on his face, no sarcastic sneer. I stepped back from the coffin feeling relieved that I'd gotten through this part of the viewing. I took a seat at the back of the section reserved for family. Now all I had to do was make polite conversation for the next two hours. Vinnie had lived in and around the Burg for all of his life and I knew there would be plenty of curious people stopping by to pay their respects.

An hour into the viewing my eyes opened wide as I saw Ranger and Tank walk through the door. Both of them dressed in black. Ranger was wearing a suit and looked stunning. Tank was in dress slacks with a black turtleneck. The two of them standing side by side were breathtakingly impressive and from the sudden lull in the conversation I wasn't the only one who thought so. Ranger made his way to Lucille who stood to greet him warmly. This surprised me as I hadn't realized she even knew him. After a few moments he made his way to my side.

"How are you holding up?" he asked. I know he was remembering my dislike of anything funereal.

"I'm doing okay," I said. "It's nice of you and Tank to come."

"We won't be at the funeral and I don't plan on staying here too long. Are you up for some company tonight? I'd like to discuss this bond office business with you."

"Yes, "I said trying not to let my surprise show. "I'm meeting with Connie after we leave here today. This is both our decision, Ranger. I have to consider what Connie wants as well as what I want."

"I understand that, babe, and speak of the devil…" I turned around following his gaze. Connie and Lula had just walked in the door. Connie looked pretty much business as usual. She wore a navy suit and navy spectator pumps accessorized with bright red lips and matching manicure. Lula was dressed conservatively, for Lula. She wore the same metal studded boots I had worn to capture Goodson. Her black mini skirt ended well above the boot tops and exposed fishnet stocking clad thighs. She wore a matching jacket with a silver lame tank top underneath. On top of her Shirley Temple blond curls she wore a small black sequined cloche. I'm not sure how, but she pulled it off. I looked across the room to see she had also captured Tank's attention.

They came toward us and Ranger was gone with a whispered, "Later, babe."

Connie and I met at DiPardo's , a small neighborhood bar just outside Burg limits. We sat at a small table in the back. When the waiter came to take our drink orders and suggested a wine choice Connie rolled her eyes and said, "We'll be sticking to colas, but thanks." She opened a leather binder and turned it towards me. "I've been doing some research," she said. "But before I show you everything I've got, I need to know how committed you are to selling to Rangeman."

"I'm not committed at all," I said. "Financially that makes the most sense but I don't want to work for Ranger." I explained to her that Ranger was the one who set the plan into place for us to inherit half of the bonds office in order to protect me if he should be killed. "I care a great deal about Ranger," I said, "but I'm ready to stand on my own two feet. I'm tired of being a 'kept' woman. Between Joe's insistence that I give up my work to become a stay at home wife and mother, and Ranger's constant tracking of my whereabouts I need some freedom."

"Well then," she said sliding the binder in front of me. "I've been doing a little research and making some basic plans. I talked to Dickie and he said we could reopen the bonds office at any time. I thought the day after tomorrow would be good. My licensure is good, and it will be pretty simple for you to obtain yours. It just takes a few hours of class work. I think we will have to hire someone else as a BEA but for now you may have to stay in that capacity."

"That's what I thought too," I said. "I don't know if we can count on Rangeman cooperation after we buy Ranger out. I think he is planning on buying us out."

"Vinnie had a contract with them," Connie said. " Maybe we could negotiate one. I was thinking we could give Lula more of a role in the skip tracing. She hates being a file clerk. If both you and I were in the office we could take care of all the clerical stuff." I was starting to get excited about the possibilities.

"One other thing," Connie said. "What ever happened with Goodson?"

"I got him," I said. "Lula helped tremendously. I left the body receipt at Ranger's and as far as I know it's still there. I don't know if he'll keep the money but I told him to."

"I'm sure we'll find out. Will you tell him that we've decided to buy him out?" I nodded. "We are scheduled to meet with Dickie tomorrow afternoon," she continued. "I'll call him and let him know what we have decided and he will have paperwork ready for us to sign. We need to get going to make sure we don't let any of our outstanding bonds expire."

"Connie!" I said, "I just had a great idea. Could we get cars? Could we get cars and have them registered to the business?"

"Sure, if we can afford it. Vinnie's Caddie is registered to the business so technically we'll own it, maybe we can sell it. We could each drive a company car."

"One rule," I said. "No black SUVs"

Two hours later I was back in my apartment pacing nervously. Ranger had said that he would see me tonight. I knew he'd come, but I didn't know when and I didn't know how he would take the news. If it was Morelli coming over I knew exactly how he'd take the news. He would want me to sell to Rangeman, take the money and run. He would insist that I use the money to start a new career far from the world of bounty hunting and I was very glad that he no longer had any input in my decisions.

I hear the lock tumble and I turned around to face my door. It swung open and Ranger stood in the doorway. I should give him a key I thought as I saw him slide a small tool back into his pocket.

"Looking good, babe." I raised my hand self consciously to my hair. I had tried in vain to form the smooth braid Esperanza had managed so easily. I finally gave up and my hair was hanging in loose waves around my face. I was wearing an older cleaner version of my recently obtained rangeman t-shirt and a pair of sweats. I looked ordinary, or maybe slightly less than ordinary. Most of my makeup had worn off and I had circles under my eyes. I hadn't totally regained the weight I'd lost in Costa Rica and my skin tone still seemed pale to me. Here's the thing. The totally gorgeous man, impeccably groomed, stood staring at me meaning what he said. He thought I looked good and I was going to go with it.

"Thanks." I smiled at him. "I'm glad you're here. I want to talk to you about the bonds office."

"I already know , babe. Connie called Dickie Orr and he called Rangeman to set up an appointment for tomorrow after the funeral." He walked across the room and pulled me toward my sofa. We sat side by side and he slipped his arm around my shoulders.

"Are you mad?" I asked.

"No, why would you think that?"

"Because you made this whole thing possible. Vinnie never would have thought to leave the bonds office to us if you hadn't made it part of the deal. We owe you."

"You owe me nothing. What I do for you, I do because I care for you. I've told you before there is no price for what we give each other. I made these concessions about the transfer of the business upon the death of a partner because odds were that I would die before Vinnie. Two years ago I was much less selective about the jobs I took. My life was frequently in danger. It seemed to be a prudent clause to put into the agreement. It was a very profitable deal for Vinnie so he was quick to agree to the terms." Ranger got up and walked to my kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and got out a bottle of water. I thought it was because he wasn't used to talking so much.

"I'm sort of taking charge of my life," I said. "I think Connie and I will work well together. Would Rangeman be willing to help us with our FTAs?"

"Yes, I think something can be worked out. I won't be at the meeting tomorrow, babe. That' s what I came by to tell you. I'm going to be out of the country on business for possibly a couple of weeks, but maybe less, and I have to leave in the morning. Tank has my power of attorney and complete authority to act for me. He'll be there."

My mind was barely registering his words. I was still stuck on "I'm going to be out of the country."

"Where are you going?" I asked. "Costa Rica?"

"No, this time I'm going to Brazil, and that's all I can tell you. He pulled me from the sofa and wrapped his arms around me. "It's bad timing Stephanie. I don't want to leave now. I think you're right. We aren't friends anymore and our relationship is undefined, and we need to work on fixing that." He kissed me with an intensity that curled my toes and had desire flaring. I felt his hand skim the waist band of my sweat pants and I moaned. His mouth ravaged mine and I pressed closer to him feeling his arousal. He pulled back and I saw regret in his eyes and then he was gone, the door closing softly behind him. I felt something scratchy against my abdomen. I reached down and pulled the body receipt for Charles Goodson out of my waistband.

14. Spending Vinnie's Money

Vinnie was in the ground and I was on my way to a meeting with my ex-husband and my new business partner. Ranger was in the wind, and Morelli was so deep undercover that his mother couldn't get hold of him. I still had faint bruises from my Costa Rican ordeal. It would take a calculator to figure my score on the life stress test I'd learned about in a college psychology class. I'd gotten up early in the morning and returned the Rangeman SUV. I was currently driving Big Blue, Grandma Mazur's Buick, but not for long. I had a plan.

Tank was at the meeting in place of Ranger. Dickie had all the paper work ready to sign and it was a simple process to make the bonds office legally belong to Connie and myself. We signed bank cards and applications for licensure and before long everything was finalized. Rangeman had agreed to take our high dollar bonds and Tank was going to work with Lula and help her develop the skills she'd need to become our primary BEA. I would help if we got backlogged with skips but my primary focus was going to be that of a bail bondsman. Connie and I would share that responsibility and one or the other of us would be in the office at all times.

"I have a suggestion for you," Dickie said as he was wrapping up the meeting. "I think it would be beneficial for you Stephanie, and maybe for you as well Connie to spend some time observing in another bonds office. Vinnie was an astute bail bondsman. He had an instinct about who to write bonds on and who to avoid. You both might benefit from seeing how it's done in another office." I looked at Dickie standing behind his desk, a sincere look on his face. He'd been a lowlife lying scum of a husband, but he was turning out to be a pretty good attorney for Connie and me. I thought his idea was a good one.

"Okay," I said. "I think that's a good idea. Who do you suggest?"

"I'll have to think about it," he said. "The first person who comes to mind is Les Sebring. He runs a clean business but he's really your competition so I don't know if that would be a good idea."

"No, absolutely not," I said. "It wouldn't be a good idea for me to spend time with Les Sebring. I'm not fond of his BEA." That drew a sharp look from Tank.

"Who's his BEA?" Connie asked.

"Jean Ellen Burrows," Dickie said. "She's a hot piece of..ah.." his voice dwindled off at my malevolent stare. "..I know a couple of guys in Philly that would be good."

"What about Jamison Brown?" Tank asked. "Rangeman has done work for his office and he runs a tight ship."

"That's a good idea," Dickie said. "If it's okay with you Stephanie I'll call and see if I can make arrangements for both you and Connie to go spend some time with him." I nodded my assent. Tank stood up and prepared to leave as his part of the meeting was officially over. "Don't go Tank," I said. "I know who you report to and I'd like you to be in on this entire meeting. I'd like you stay and offer an opinion if you feel you need to." I turned to Connie, "Is that okay with you, partner."

"Sure," she said.

"There is one more thing," Dickie said. "I think you guys should continue to use the accounting firm Vinnie had been using. They have worked out a tentative budget for you at my request. It's also the firm that Rangeman uses and they had all the pertinent information. I know you are obligated to keep the name 'Vincent Plum Bail Bonds', but it occurred to me that you might want to do a little remodeling to put your stamp on the business. This should explain things to you."

He handed Connie and I identical leather binders. I opened mine and saw a provisional operating budget. There was a good amount of money set aside for office improvement as well as a salary schedule for Connie and myself. I had gone from living way below the poverty line to suddenly gliding at a comfortable altitude above it. We decided that the next day would be a work day and we would clean the office. Cleaning hadn't been high on Vinnie's list of priorities and the thought of a freshly waxed floor and sparking windows appealed to both Connie and me.

As we all stood to leave the office I pulled the body receipt on Goodson out and handed it to Connie. "When you make out the check tomorrow, write two. I'll take half and I'll give half to Lula. I couldn't have done it without her."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to see Tank standing behind me. "Do you have a minute Stephanie?"

"Sure," I said as we walked into the hall outside Dickie's office.

"Did you and the boss man talk about Jean Ellen yesterday?" This was unusual on two counts. I was usually the one after information, and I thought Tank knew all of Ranger's business.

"Yes, we did. I may have misunderstood the situation I walked in on in Ranger's office."

"Jean Ellen has her own agenda," Tank said. "She isn't above making trouble when it suits her own needs and I think yesterday it suited her to rattle you. That's why I suggested that your observe Jamison Brown's business. You'll be better off there."

He turned and walked away stopping to throw me a quick smile as he heard my, "Thanks, Tank."

I pulled out my cell and called Lula. "Well it's official. You are talking to the half owner of the Vincent Plum Bail Bonds Office," I told her. "And my first official duty is to tell you that you've been promoted to bounty hunter, no more filing for you." I held my phone away from my ear until her squealing died down. I thought she was happy but I wasn't sure. "Was that a happy noise?" I asked.

"Damn skippy it was," she responded.

""Well then, "I continued. "I have more good news. Your partner for the next few weeks will be a Rangeman employee, and most times it will be Tank." Again there was squealing. "Show up for work tomorrow at nine and be prepared because tomorrow is a cleaning day. We are going to scrub about ten years of dirt off the floors, windows and walls of that office."

I felt unsettled. I was happy about the meeting, but I was feeling like I need to share my news with someone. Joe was no longer a part of my life. Ranger was gone. Mary Lou would be great to talk to but she had family obligations. I headed Big Blue back to the Burg without even thinking about it. I was going to spend the evening with my family.

My sister Valerie and her husband Albert were just leaving as I arrived. They had left their girls with Albert's mother for the funeral and they were on the way to pick them up. It was late afternoon and I could hear my mother trying to convince them to stay for supper, but Valerie said no. They had bribed the girls into staying with their Grandma Kloughn buy promising them supper from the local pizzeria.

"I'll stay," I said, and my mom smiled mollified that I would be getting a decent meal. It was a pleasant evening. My parents and my Grandma listened with interest to the details of my meeting with Dickie.

"You know," my mom said, "I don't think Dickie is seeing anyone now."

"Don't go there, mom." I shuddered, and surprisingly, she didn't. I told them of our plans to clean the office the next day and both my mom and Grandma thought it was a good idea. I left after supper and headed back to my apartment with a sack of leftovers. I was still driving Big Blue but I knew I wouldn't be for much longer.

Connie and I arrived at the bonds office at nine and entered together. I knew we both felt a twinge of guilt for feeling so excited about our new adventure at the expense of Vinnie. Connie immediately went to the desk and wrote out two checks, each for twelve thousand, five hundred dollars. Lula came sliding in through the door with a bag from the Tasty Pastry and a bouquet of yellow roses. "These here yellow roses signify a new beginning, as least that's what the florist said. An' I thought we have to have yellow roses because it's a new beginning for all of us, even Vinnie."

"Here something else that might help with a new beginning," I said taking a check from Connie and handing it to her. Her eyes widened when she saw the amount. "Ranger wouldn't accept the body receipt. He said that I got Goodson and I should get the money, but I could never have done it without you so this is your half."

Before Lula could respond the door opened and we were all surprised to see my mom , dad, and Grandma Mazur come in followed closely by Mr. and Mrs. Rossoli, Connie's parents. "We're here to help you clean," Grandma said, "and the men are gonna paint the walls!" I looked at Mr. Rossoli who had a fistful of paint sample cards in his hand.

"Pick a color," he said, "and Frank and I will head to the hardware store." We chose sky blue and the two men left to buy paint. Connie and I looked at each other and grinned. We were going to make our office our own and with the help of our family it would be fun. The tasks were divided between us and everyone got to work. Connie and I were silent for the most part letting our mom's make the decision of what need to be scrubbed first. Lula, also, had remained silent. She stepped forward and said, "Stephanie could I talk to you in private?"

"Sure," I said. I was concerned. I didn't want Lula to be left out. Even though she didn't share in the ownership of the office she was an integral part of our new team and I was afraid she was feeling left out.

"I don't think I can take this," she said handing the check back to me.

"Yes, you can. Lula, I never could have pulled this off without you. I didn't know about the blackberry stun gun. I didn't know about the fake nipples and I knew absolutely nothing about S & M. You earned it just as much as I did, and I was hoping you'd go shopping and enjoy the rewards of your work."

"Alright, I will!" She looked around the office. "I'm going shopping and I'll be back in a few hours, and thanks Stephanie." She gave me a quick hug and was gone. I turned my attention to the conversation between Mrs. Rossoli and my mom about the advantages of liquid wax over paste wax.

By mid afternoon the walls of Vinnie's office, which we were learning to refer to as the back office, as well as the walls of the front office, were painted a calming sky blue. The store room was in the process of being painted a soft gray. The dark gray floor tiles were so shiny Grandma Mazur was looking at the reflection of her legs in them. Connie and I had spent some time going through Vinnie's private files. It was a scary task and one that we thought should be shared. Vinnie had a lot of information on a lot of people, and I didn't think he'd ever blackmailed anyone, but he could have. In the end we just marked the files confidential and put them in a locked cabinet.

I heard the bell ring over the front door and went out to see who'd come in. Lula was directing two men toward the brown naugahyde couch. They picked it up and carried it out without a word. "Lula?" I questioned.

"I told you I was going shopping." We all watched as the two men put the old sofa in the back of a large truck and brought out a beautiful leather sofa to put in its place. After the sofa came an easy chair, and end table. There was a nice painting for the wall and two large plants. "And these plants are real, because I know Connie can keep them alive."

At the end of the day we all stood and admired our handiwork. It felt so good to have our parents involved. I noticed that Grandma Mazur was missing and I immediately looked toward the store room. I knew there were guns and ammo in there. "Grandma?" I called.

"I'm here," she said stepping out from between the two rows of files. "Your files are a mess. I've been putting stuff in order all day. I never saw so many misfiles in my life, and I found two big stacks of files that I just put away. I like things nice and ordered." I looked at Connie and she looked at me.

"Edna," Connie said, "would you like a job. We could use a person to do our filing for a couple of hours a day."

"That would be peachy," she said. "and when I wasn't busy I could sit on that new sofa and call people on my cell phone. But you couldn't pay me too much. I don't want to mess up my social security." We'd hired our first new employee.

I went home to my apartment feeling better than I had since Costa Rica. I was so happy that my mom and dad had chosen to accept my new venture. I had a supper of peanut butter and olive sandwich and a beer and I decided to have an early night. I was tired from hand scrubbing and waxing the ancient tile floor but the results had been worth it.

I showered and pulled on my new favorite pajamas, a Rangeman t-shirt. Pulling back the covers I got in bed and stretched out enjoying the ache of muscles as my body relaxed into the mattress. I drifted off to sleep slowly knowing that Connie and I had made the right decision. My life was finally finding a new rhythm. That night the dreams began.

15. Night Dreams

My first official day as part owner of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds was spent as a cleaning lady. My second day was going to be spent as a BEA. Rangeman was going to come on board to help Lula get trained but I was going to try and clean up the skips that had been left at the time of Vinnie's death. Lula frequently aided me in my attempts and she would today. The difference was that, today, it would actually be her job.

When I walked into the office Connie was sitting at her desk and Lula was lounging on the new leather sofa reading a magazine. The office smelled clean and faintly of new paint. It looked ten times better than it had before we'd started our scrubbing marathon. Putting all that aside, everything seemed as usual. It was easy to imagine that the door to the inner office would open and Vinnie would be poking his head out to complain about something. Now his office belonged to Connie and me. It was still a little hard to believe.

"Hey," Lula greeted me. "I brought donuts but we ate them all. You'll have to go get your own."

"We didn't eat them all," Connie said to Lula, "You ate them all."

"Humph!" Lula exclaimed and looking at me she changed her train of thought. "Stephanie you look terrible. What's wrong are you sick?"

"No," I said, "but I didn't sleep well. I had nightmares and every time I went to sleep I woke up terrified. Finally I just decided to stay up."

"Nightmares about what?" Lula questioned.

"I don't know," I said. "I can't remember exactly, but they were scary dreams." I wasn't being truthful. I remembered every part of my dream in vivid detail. I was in Costa Rica, chained to the bed in my small cell and the men kept coming and leering, touch me and hurting me and it was so realistic that when I awoke screaming , sheets twisted around me, I thought I was really back in that cell. It had taken most of the night to calm myself down and it was early morning when I finally went back to sleep. I didn't want to talk about it because I just wanted to forget it totally, so I changed the subject to one I knew would shift their attention away from me.

"Connie, I want to buy a car. I think you should too, and I think we should have an SUV for Lula to drive. She can't pick up skips in her Firebird."

"I think we can do it," Connie said. "We'll have to talk to the accountant but the money is here. Vinnie always acted like he was on the verge of bankruptcy and that just wasn't true. We have a pretty sound business and I think it seems like a reasonable expense. "

"Well I need wheels now," I said. "I'm committed to returning the Buick to Grandma by the end of the day."

"Speaking of your Grandma," Connie said, "I called her this morning. She's going to come in and work half days on Mondays and Wednesdays. Your dad will drop her off and pick her up. She said she'd work for free but we have to pay her something."

I laughed. "My dad would probably pay us for getting her out of the house!" I picked up a stack of files from Connie's desk and went to sit next to Lula. The couch was a big improvement on the previous one and once again I thanked Lula for her contribution to the office. We spent the next hour figuring out our plan for the day and which skips we would try to bring in.

"I think we can get at least two of these," I said, "and then I'm going car shopping."

"When you take someone into the PD," Connie said, "call me and I'll come down and rebond them. You can watch and start to learn how to do it. It isn't hard and the people in the court offices are very good about helping you."

Lula and I left the office and drove to the Tasty Pastry. I bought my usual two Boston Crèmes, but left them in the sack. I wasn't hungry, my stomach still unsettled from the terror of the nightmares.

I had decided to let Lula take on the role of BEA with me as her assistant. She seemed to be taking her job very seriously and the morning went well with two apprehensions. Connie came down and walked me through the paperwork of rebonding and the three of us decided to have lunch at Pino's.

We were sitting in a booth waiting for our food when Carl Costanza and Big Dog came over. Carl said, "Hey, how you girls doin'?"

"We're doing just fine," Lula responded. "This is my first day as a bounty hunter and I already brought in two skips."

"That's great," Carl said, "Stephanie I just wanted to tell you I was sorry about your cousin. Are you hanging in there?"

I smiled and said, "Yeah I'm fine Carl. Connie and I are going to keep the business going pretty much as usual. We might make a few changes but it will take us a while to get everything settled." We made a little more polite conversation before they ambled away. It made me feel good because I knew the whole point of the conversation was to let us know they were in our corner. Our food came and we ate quickly. I still didn't have much of an appetite but I managed to get down half of my meatball sub. I saw Lula looking at my plate and I considered offering her the other half, but I didn't because if she wanted it she would ask for it.

Connie got in her car to go back to the office and Lula and I headed off in search of another skip. Lula turned to me and said, "What's going on with you, Stephanie? Your donuts are still in a bag in the backseat and you didn't eat hardly any of your lunch."

"I dunno," I said. "Maybe I'm catching a bug, I'm just not hungry."

"Did you dream about your kidnapping?" she asked. I didn't answer. "When Benito cut me up I had a rough time." I looked at her in surprise. She never talked about the time she almost lost her life at the hands of Benito Ramirez.

"It was a long time before I could sleep without nightmares or without all the lights on," she continued. "I finally had to talk with someone. My friend Jackie's sister is a psychologist. She used to be a 'ho and she got out. She had firsthand knowledge of what us girls went through. I talked to her and she helped me a lot. She's kinda my role model. I think you should go talk to her."

"Lula, I am not having nightmares all the time. I had a bad dream last night. Everyone has bad dreams once in a while."

"Alright, I'm just saying there are people to help you if you need it."

It turned out to be a very successful day. We got another skip and then Lula and I went car shopping. There wasn't much actual shopping involved. I knew exactly what I wanted. When I lost my job with E.E. Martin my little red Miata had been repossessed. I walked into the dealer's office and before he could say, "Can I help you?" I said, "I'll take that one."

It was five thirty when Lula pulled Big Blue into my parents' driveway with me following in my shiny new red Miata. Grandma and my mom came out to see the car. My dad stayed inside watching Judge Judy render her final decision of the day. Lula and I ended up staying for supper.

The pot roast and mashed potatoes held little appeal for me. I just wasn't hungry. I made myself eat though because Lula was watching my plate like a hawk and my mother was on a mission to help me regain any weight I had lost while in Costa Rica. I even managed to get down a piece of German chocolate cake. Okay, so I didn't really have to try too hard to get the cake down.

Lula and I both carried sacks of leftovers as we went out to get in the Miata. I dropped her off at the bonds office to pick up her Firebird and sped back to my apartment getting used to the feel of the wheel and enjoying shifting through the gears. I parked in a corner as far away from the fleet of Buick LeSabres owned by other tenants as could. Sometimes the motus operandi in my building was drive first, look later and I wanted to save my little red car from dings for as long as possible.

I took the stairs and rounded the corner to my hallway and came to an abrupt halt. There was a man standing in front of my door. He was tall and well built with short black hair and horn rimmed glasses. He wore an ill fitting black suit. He had 'cop' written all over him but the hairs at the back of my neck were standing on end and I thought for a moment about turning and running. I saw the look of recognition on his face. I was obviously who he'd come to see and he knew me.

"Ms. Plum, I'm John Mitchell." John Mitchell, I thought. The name was familiar. Simultaneously I remembered his name and saw that he was extending an FBI badge for me to look at.

"Oh yes," I said. "Mr. Mitchell, you're the SOB that sat and watched while Jorge Rivera's men drugged me and smuggled me out of the country. How nice to meet you." I extended my hand to him. His face reddened but he put forward his hand and shook mine.

"Ms. Plum, I need to talk to you. I was wondering if you'd have a moment." I brushed past him and unlocked my door. I stepped in and then held the door open for him.

"Come in," I said. I had no desire to talk to him but I was a curious person by nature and if I sent him away I'd drive myself crazy wondering what he'd wanted. I motioned for him to have a seat in my only good armchair. I sat on the sofa and waited for him to speak.

"I'm here with a message from Sgt. Morelli."

My attention was totally his, "Is he alright?" I asked.

"Yes, he is." He was silent for a moment and then cleared his throat. "This is unusual for us because when someone is undercover there is usually not any means of contacting people from their real life but Sgt. Morelli has been very insistent that he needs to speak with you. He will be calling you this evening at about nine o'clock. He wanted to make sure that you were aware he was going to call because his window for talking to you without compromising his cover is very limited. Will you be available at that time this evening?"

"Yes," I said. "I'll make it a point to be."

He stood, "Well, I'll be going then. I, uh, I'm glad you are made it back safe from your, uh ordeal." He walked out and I slammed and locked the door behind him. I fed Rex a small piece of lettuce and a carrot and got myself a beer and sat on the sofa waiting for Joe to call.

As I sat waiting, my thoughts were not on Joe. I found myself wondering about my last encounter with Ranger. Did he really have to go into the wind, I wondered. He could always manipulate things in his favor. Was he trying to put distance between us? I needed him and I didn't think he'd abandon me of his own accord. The problem was I wasn't sure how I needed him. I wanted him as a lover, but I was sorely missing a friend right now. He said that we would define our relationship when he came back and that was good. One way or the other I was going to know what roll he would allow himself to play in my life. The ringing of my phone interrupted my thoughts.

The caller id window was blank. "Hello," I said.

"Cupcake, It's good to hear your voice."

"Hello Joe," I said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, things are good. I'm calling because I heard about Vinnie. I heard you're not doing skip tracing anymore."

I wondered how he'd managed to learn of Vinnie's death. Obviously there was some line of communication open. "Yes," I said. "That's true. Vinnie left the bonds office to Connie and me. I'm going to learn to work as a bail bondsman."

"Stephanie, I have to know. Are you giving up bounty hunting because of what I said before I left?"

"Do you mean, Joe, am I fulfilling your request to quit my job?" I asked.

"Well, yeah. I guess that's what I'm asking." His voice was low and intense and I thought my answer was important to him. I felt guilty for not having talked the situation out before he left but I thought I could show him better with actions than words. Maybe he needed the words too.

"Joe, I had no intention of quitting my job. Then Vinnie died and all of a sudden Connie and I have a business to run. If you are asking me if I regret my decision to end our relationship, I'm sorry, but I don't." I heard a sigh.

"That is what I was asking Steph. I just wanted to be sure we were both on the same page. There is someone I'm working with. She's also part of the operation. I thought that we might have to appear as a couple but we are, well I just wanted to talk with you first." That didn't take long, I thought.

"Joe," I said, "I consider you my friend. I will gladly welcome you back when you get home, but only as a friend. If you are asking my permission to get involved with someone else you don't need to. Just be careful and come home safe."

"How's Ranger?" he asked. I knew he was asking if Ranger and I were involved.

"Ranger is gone," I said. "He is in the wind and if you are asking if he and I are together we aren't. I don't want you to think I ended it with you because I was involved with Ranger. I have feelings for him but I don't think he wants involvement." We talked for a few minutes more. I told him of Rangeman's silent partnership with Vinnie. I told him of the recent dealings I'd had with Dickie and how he was turning out to be helpful to me. We talked about Costanza and Big Dog and it felt good to have the conversation.

"Cupcake, I've got to go. I probably won't talk to you again for quite awhile."

"Okay Joe, be careful," and then I surprised us both by saying, "Love you," before I disconnected. I was suddenly aware of tears streaming down my cheeks. I wiped them away and realized I felt tired and strangely content. I got up and into the bedroom to get ready for bed. My mind was still on Joe and our conversation and I had no anxiety about the previous night's dreams. I fell into a deep sleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I was awakened by my own screaming. If my next door neighbor hadn't been sleeping without his hearing aid I'm sure he would have called 911. I sat up in bed with my heart pounding the sheet tangled around my legs, my pillows scattered on the floor. I was confused for a moment until the dream slowly came back to me. I was in my cell, and there was a man. He came closer and closer and I knew he was going to hurt me, and then the man was gone and there was a snake and it was sliding up my leg…and then the man was back. It was John Mitchell and he was telling me something but I couldn't understand him. That's when I realized I was awake, sitting in my own bed, not a cell in Costa Rica. I was trembling and covered with a sheen of sweat, and I was scared.

16. Friends 'Til The End

The days turned into weeks and our routines became more set. Dickie was always available to act as an advisor and I don't know when I realized he had more than a passing interest in Connie. Once I became aware of it the signs were all over. Connie was very private about her life and it was hard to tell if she reciprocated his feelings. I didn't know what to do about it. As a husband, the man was a two-timing pig, but as our attorney he'd been nothing but professional and encouraging. Connie knew all about my experience with Dickie and she was not a pushover by any means so I decided to keep my nose out of her business. I had plenty of my own troubles.

Lula had been watching me like a hawk. I knew she sensed I needed someone to talk to and she was right. I didn't need a psychologist. I needed a friend and although she was trying, I found I resented her insistence that I talk with someone.

The dreams came every night. Sometimes I was able to sleep for six hours before I was shaken out of sleep into a paralyzing state of terror. Sometimes I only got two or three hours. One thing was certain, I never went back to sleep after a dream, even with all the lights on and every door and window locked.

My appetite was nonexistent, but I forced myself to eat. Every morning I made an attempt at donuts. When I went to my mom's, I always managed to get a decent amount of food down. It was easier to force myself to eat than to put up with all of the nagging I'd receive if I didn't.

Dickie was adamant about Connie and me spending time in another bail bonds office just to see how other people ran their business. He'd contacted Jamison Brown. I was unfamiliar with him, but Tank said Rangeman occasionally had dealings with him and he thought it would be a good place to go observe.

I was wearing a new soft blue suit. The powder blue did nice things for my eyes. I'd taken extra time with my hair and makeup. I hadn't been getting enough sleep and even with the concealer the dark circles were visible under my eyes. The suit was a size smaller than I would normally wear. There were some advantages to losing my appetite. I thought I looked professional and was confident when I pulled the door open to walk into the Brown Bail Bonds office.

The receptionist, a pretty blonde, smiled and inquired, "May I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Stephanie Plum. I'm here to see Mr. Brown."

"Oh sure," she responded enthusiastically. She pushed a button on her phone and said, "Jamie, Ms. Plum is here to see you."

A door opened at the far end of the room almost immediately. A tall slender man of about fifty walked through. He was startlingly handsome in an elegant Cary Grant kind of way. He was dressed in a conservative blue suit. Pristine white French cuffs showed at the edge of his jacket sleeves. He walked toward me with an extended hand and I raised mine to clasp his in a polite shake. "Jamie Brown, Ms. Plum. So nice to meet you." He smiled and the corners of his eyes crinkled in a very becoming way.

"Call me Stephanie," I said smiling back. There was something contagious in the way he greeted me and I felt my spirits lift a little. He radiated nice friendly warmth that I was drawn to immediately.

The day was very successful. I watched carefully every part of his day. At lunch he took me to an inexpensive little Italian delicatessen and we shared conversation as well as a delicious meal. I noticed he was watching me eat and I wondered with a moment's paranoia if Lula had told him about my lack of appetite. I managed to consume over half of what was on my plate, leaving the rest.

By the end of the day it seemed like we'd known each other for years instead of hours. "I really enjoyed the day," I told him as I was leaving. "I feel as though I've learned a lot that Connie and I can use. Connie will be coming tomorrow and I'm sure she'll find it valuable as well."

"Well," Jamie said, "I'm looking forward to meeting her. I'd love to come see your office. Would that be possible?"

"Yes," I said eagerly. I was proud of our little office and I wanted to see what he would think of our set up.

"Why don't I come look at your place the day after tomorrow?" he suggested. "I'll come in the afternoon and then take you out for dinner. We can discuss the similarities and differences in how we approach our business. What do you say?"

I was surprised by his suggestion, but it sounded like fun. I'd been spending way too much time in my own company and it would be nice to have dinner with someone as interesting as Jamison Brown.

Two days later, Connie and I arrived at the bonds office at the same time. "My, my, my," she said. "You seem to have made quite a conquest. Jamie Brown is smitten with you."

I looked at her in surprise. "Don't be silly. He doesn't think of me in that way. He was just being friendly and helpful to us."

"Well, Mr. Friendly told me he was really looking forward to his date with you tonight."

"It's not a date," I said.

"Well, tell Mr. Jamison Brown, because he thinks it is." I thought about it for a minute. If it was a date would that be so bad? He was quite a bit older than me, but very attractive. I didn't have any reason not to go. I shrugged my shoulders and decided not to think about it for the time being. I was getting good at pushing uncomfortable thoughts to the back of my mind.

I was in what we still referred to as Vinnie's office purging some of Vinnie's personal files when my stomach fluttered. I felt goose bumps along my arms. I swung the chair around to face the door and saw Ranger filling the doorway staring at me. He came into the room and kicked the door shut behind him. He crossed the room quickly stopping in front of me. I stood and found myself encircled in his embrace.

We stood holding each other for a few moments before he pulled back to look at me. "I missed you, babe."

"I missed you, too. When did you get back?"

"I'm not officially back yet. I haven't been to Haywood or called Tank. I took a cab from the airport. I was hoping you could give me a ride to Rangeman and spend some time with me. We have things to talk about."

I opened the door to find Connie and Lula standing with their ears toward the door. They didn't even try to hide the fact they were eavesdropping.

"I don't care if you take the afternoon off," Connie said, "but don't forget you have a date this afternoon with Jamison."

"Jamison?" Ranger questioned.

"Yes, Jamison Brown," I said. "He's a bail bondsman and it's not a date. He's just coming to look at our office."

"I know him," Ranger said. "Why is he coming to look at the office?"

"Stephanie and I went to his business to see how he ran his office and see if we could pick up any tips. It was Dickie's idea," Connie said.

"No it wasn't," Lula said. "It was Dickie's idea to go look over Les Sebring's office, but Stephanie wouldn't go on account of Jeanne Ellen Burrows. So Tank suggested Jamison Brown and now he's got a crush on Stephanie."

Ranger looked from Connie to Lula and then back to me. "Tank suggested Jamie Brown?" We all shook our heads yes in unison. "I'm gonna kill him," Ranger muttered.

"Do you know him?" Lula asked.

"Yes, Rangeman has done some work for him. He's a good bail bondsman, but Babe, he's old enough to be your father."

It was my turn to look from Connie, to Lula and then to Ranger. "In the first place," I said slowly, "it's not a date. In the second place, I'm presently not in any relationship and I'm of legal age to make my own decisions. If I want to have dinner with a man what possible business is it of any of you?"

I took Ranger's arm and pulled him toward the storeroom. "If you want a ride back to Haywood, let's go. My car is parked out back." I walked into the storeroom toward the back door. There was silence from Connie and Lula. Ranger followed me out the door.

Lula's words to Connie floated through the backdoor behind us. "I'm worried about Stephanie."

Feeling a little ashamed about my outburst I purposefully tried for a cheerful tone when I spoke to Ranger. "I've replaced Big Blue. What do you think?"

Ranger gave me a little smile and ran his hand along the hood of my new red car. We got in and he turned to me and said, "We need to talk about Brazil, and then we need to talk about relationships, Babe." And then, even though I was driving he went into his zone. The trip to Haywood was silent and uneventful. I pulled into the garage, sliding my Miata into a vacant space between two giant black SUVs, admiring the way the red stood out.

We went to five first. Ranger kept his arm around my shoulders and we walked side by side into the control room. Tank found us immediately. If he was surprised by my presence he didn't show it. "Welcome back," he said to Ranger.

"Thanks," Ranger responded. "Anything critical?"

"No, everything's under control," Tank said. "Nothing for you to deal with at the moment."

"Okay, then I'm offline for awhile. Stephanie and I will be on seven all afternoon. I don't want any interruptions, but tell Ella to send up lunch for two." He turned and walked me toward the elevator. There was no comment from any of his men, but I knew they'd heard what he'd said and drawn their own conclusions. I, myself, had no idea what we were going to do, but I was pretty sure it wasn't what they were thinking.

As we entered his apartment I saw Ranger's hesitation. He stood in the foyer for a moment as if gathering his resolve. "I'm going to take a quick shower, babe." He gave me a little push toward the living room. "Ella should be up soon with lunch. We'll talk after."

I sat on the sofa, my anxiety slowly building. I needed Ranger in my life and I couldn't read him at all. Was he going to tell me once again his life didn't lend itself to relationships? I didn't want to hear it. I could handle a friendship and I would embrace anything more. There was a knock at the door taking me out of my musings.

I opened the door to admit Ella. "Stephanie, it's so nice to have you here." She looked over the room and seeing it was empty, said in a loud whisper, "I brought dessert. Tank told me you'd lost a little weight, we'll fix that!" Her tone was friendly and conspiratorial and it was impossible to take offense. I knew as soon as she mentioned Tank that Lula had been talking again. I was glad she was my friend and cared about me, but enough was enough. I was going to have to say something to her.

As the door closed on Ella, Ranger walked back into the room. He was wearing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. His feet were bare. I stared. I couldn't help it. For the six months prior to my abduction I hadn't seen him at all. The time I spent with him in Costa Rica was not quality time by anyone's standards. I spent a part of everyday thinking about Ranger, but when I was actually in his presence my feelings for him were undeniable.

We sat at the bar in his kitchen side by side. For Ranger, food was fuel. He didn't drool over dessert, or need platefuls of macaroni and cheese to elevate his mood. That was me, or at least it used to be. I looked at my plateful of chicken salad and couldn't find any enthusiasm for it. I made myself eat a few forkfuls. Ella had brought large pieces of carrot cake for dessert. I toyed with mine until I became aware of Ranger's stare. "Are you dieting?" he asked. "You haven't given up sugar have you?"

I smiled knowing he was teasing, especially about the sugar. "No," I said, "I'm not dieting and I haven't given up sugar. I just haven't had much of an appetite lately. If I don't feel better soon I'll go to the doctor. Lula's been after me."

He took my hand and led me from the kitchen. He sat on the sofa and pulled me down next to him. "I spent some time in an Amazon jungle last week," he said. "It gave me a lot of time to think and I want to talk about you and me, but I also want to tell you what I was doing in Brazil."

This was unusual as Ranger never talked about his time in the wind. "Are you going to tell me why you went?" I asked.

"Yes, because it involves you." My eyes widened and I turned to him curious about what I was going to hear. "Babe, I didn't just stumble upon the compound where you were being held in Costa Rica. I had good Intel from the FBI and other sources. They wanted Rivera and they were willing to help me get to you if I would agree to help them with what they needed."

"I know you had to trade your services for me," I said. "I am so grateful you were able to get me out of there, but I knew the FBI was going to use you. I'm sorry." His arm came around my shoulders and he pulled me close to his side.

"Babe, there is no need for you to be sorry. I think Tank may have told you that Rangeman has benefited financially from this operation. It would have made no difference if that was not so. I would have done everything in my power to get you out of there in any circumstance. But as things played out I needed to finish what I'd started."

"There was a human pipeline from Brazil through Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic to bring unsuspecting women into the United States to be used as prostitutes. Rivera was the middle man in several ways. He handled the transport from Costa Rica into the United States, and even though his part of the chain was broken with his death, the operation in Brazil would have been able to regenerate."

I could see where this story was going. "You went to take out the head of the chain?" I asked.

"Yes, and I was able to accomplish it. I believe the FBI is satisfied with my performance and this should be the end of it." Well, I thought, so much for the conversation about Brazil. Now he was going to start talking about us, and if he didn't I would turn the conversation in that direction.

He didn't disappoint me. "There was a lot of time spent waiting for the right time to act," he said. "I sat in the jungle for hours, in miserable conditions with nothing to do but to think, and I thought about you and me. You're right. We aren't friends anymore. I want to change that. I care about you a great deal. It's not just a cliché when I say that my life doesn't lend itself to relationships. I can be called away at any time. I have an obligation to go because of commitments I've made in the past which still must be honored. I made those commitments at a time when I needed the funds to get Rangeman off the ground and my life is still bound by them."

"So, you are saying because you frequently have to leave with little notice and be gone for extended periods of time there can be nothing between us?" I asked. My temper was starting to rise, but I was trying hard not to let it show.

Ranger stood abruptly and walked to the other side of the room. He turned looked at me for a long time before he spoke. "What I'm saying is I never imagined that I would care about someone as I care for you. I can't offer you anything now and I can't ask you to put your life on hold for me. All I can offer you is friendship, but I'll be the best friend you've ever had and I'll be there for you always. I haven't been fair to you because I know I've been sending mixed messages. That won't happen anymore. Can you live with that?"

"It's not an easy question," I said to Ranger. "Joe and I had an on and off relationship for a long time and each time we separated it was harder. This last time was surprisingly easy because he gave me an ultimatum and I was able to make a clear cut decision. I miss him, but I'm not going back to him." Ranger was silent, listening.

"You and I have an on again off again relationship as well," I said. "We're spending time in each other's company, working together and sometimes being social and then we have a 'close call.' Your control slips and we almost make love and then we're in the off phase because you leave. I can't do that anymore. I need constancy. I need a friend who won't run away from me emotionally. I realize you'll still have to be gone, but I need you to be available to me when you are physically here. If that's what you're offering then I accept. I need a friend and I'd like it to be you. I have a question for you, though."

He looked at me expectantly. "What will you do, Ranger, if I take a lover? Because I'm thinking that I will."

"Jamison Brown?" he asked.

My immediate response was to say no, but I said, "Maybe."

"Babe, he is a major player. He's been married and divorced four times. Each time he goes after someone younger. He definitely isn't into long term relationships. You should stay away from him."

"That's good advice from a friend," I said, "and I'll keep everything you've said in mind. I don't know that I will become involved with Jamison, but it's only a matter of time until there is someone else. I want a lover. I wanted you in that position, but I accept that it can't be, and before you ask the question let me answer it for you. You said you didn't have lovers, you don't do the relationship thing. You have sexual partners. If you continue to have them in the future, I don't want to know. I don't want to have to handle it."

17. A Ghost of a Chance

I arrived back at the bonds office late in the afternoon. Lula had gone home for the day and Connie was waiting for my arrival so she could leave. "Connie," I said, "I'm sorry I kind of ran out on you today."

"No problem," she said. "It's hard to say no to Ranger. Everything okay on that front?"

"Yes," I sighed. "Nothing is ever easy with Ranger, but we talked some things out." We both turned as we heard the door open. Jamison Brown walked in, looking handsome in a gray suit, and I was glad I'd taken time to go home and change into a simple black dress and low-heeled pumps.

"Hello Jamison," Connie said. "Welcome to Vincent Plum Bail Bonds."

"Hello Connie," he responded, "please call me Jamie." He turned his gaze to me. "Stephanie, you look lovely."

"Thanks," I said as an uneasy silence descended on the office.

"Sorry to greet and run," Connie said, "but I'm going to let Stephanie show you the office. I've got a date this evening." She picked up her purse and headed for the door leaving Jamie and me alone. I wondered if her date was with Dickie.

"There's not much to show," I began. "My cousin Vinnie ran this office as if we were always on the verge of bankruptcy. Connie and I are slowly making our way through all the records and are finding out it's surprisingly profitable." We walked from the front office into Vinnie's office and finally to the storeroom. "We just cleaned this room out," I said. "It's somewhat of a catchall."

"What's this?" Jamie asked, lifting up a harness made of nylon webbing and plastic closures.

I laughed. "That's one of Vinnie's bargains. He bought a case of British leg shackles off the internet. The nylon netting wraps around the ankles and then it's secured with plastic ties that once tightened have to be cut off."

"I've never seen anything like it," Jamie commented.

"That's the last one we have," I said. "They're very effective, but they're pretty hard to get on. The FTA has to be very cooperative or unconscious to get them on."

"You're speaking like you have experience with them," Jamie said. "Oh, of course! I forget you worked as a BEA for Vinnie. I admire your talents, but I think I'd have to go the old fashioned route and use leg irons and chains…much less complicated." He smiled and I smiled back, but the sudden picture of my leg rubbed raw from the ankle bracelet and chain attached to it swam before my eyes. I shuddered as I remembered the sound of the chain dragging behind me as I moved in my small cell.

Jamie saw my shiver. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," I smiled, "just a little chilly." I rubbed my arms, left bare by my sleeveless dress, and felt goose bumps. "Let me get my jacket and then let me treat you to dinner for everything you've done for Connie and me."

"You're too late," he said. "I've made reservations and this evening is my treat to you." I locked up and set the security alarm monitored by Rangeman, Inc. We left the office and made our way to his shiny black Mercedes. What is it with men and their black cars, I wondered.

We went to a Mongolian restaurant that was casual and crowded, and I relaxed a little. I'd hoped we wouldn't go someplace dark and quiet. I knew on some level this was a date, but despite what I told Ranger I wasn't ready to jump into a sexual relationship yet. Surprisingly, his age was not a deterrent to me. He was attractive and personable and I could see glimpses of what made Ranger refer to him as a player.

We'd finished our dinner and I thought I'd done a decent job of cleaning my plate. "I've really enjoyed myself this evening," Jamie told me. He reached out his hand and gently skimmed his fingertips up my arm, and suddenly I could feel other fingertips caressing my arm more harshly, lifting my gown to prod my breasts and finger my nipples. I shook my head in an attempt to dispel the memory and heard Jamie say, "Stephanie?"

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm not really myself these days. I've been suffering from a little insomnia and suddenly, I find myself very tired."

"We'll leave then," he said and he called for the check. I was quiet on the trip back to the bonds office. The plan was for him to drop me off there to pick up my car. I'd pondered the idea of asking him back to my apartment. Now I knew I wouldn't. My mind was jumping all over. One minute I was filled with horrible half-memories from Costa Rica and the next I was trying to hold on to the present situation. It was exhausting. I was going to go home and pray for a dreamless night. I needed one.

As we stood next to my car I looked up to Jamie and said, "I need to apologize. I'm not really myself. I'm still recovering…"

"…from your cousin's untimely death," he finished for me. "You don't need to apologize. You've had a lot of changes in your life lately. I'd like to see you again Stephanie, but I want you to call me when you're ready. I don't want to rush you." He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek.

I got in my car and drove away with a little wave as he stood watching. I felt horribly guilty for letting him think my behavior was about Vinnie. He was a nice man and I couldn't bring myself to tell him I'd hardly given Vinnie's death a second thought since the funeral. I was still recovering, but not from Vinnie's death. I didn't understand why I couldn't shake the fear from Costa Rica. I knew the threat to me was gone, but the memories kept coming back and wouldn't let me rest.

I pulled into my parking lot and saw a man leaning against the wall of my building. He was dressed in black and my first thought was Rangeman. I noticed he was of slight build and he was smoking a cigarette and I knew he wasn't from Rangeman after all. I looked at his face and terror as I'd never known before coursed through me. He was staring at me and I saw his lips curl in a small smile. He straightened up stepping away from the wall, moving toward my car. I felt a heavy pressure in my chest and I could barely get in a breath. Without thinking I threw the car into reverse and hit the gas. I glanced up to see if he was still coming toward me. He was gone. I'd only had a brief look at his face, but I'd recognized him immediately. How had he disappeared? Had I seen a ghost? My car raced out of the lot and down the road, seemingly of its own accord.

Holding onto the wheel with one hand I rummaged in my purse with my other. I pulled out the key fob and pressed it wildly until the gate opened and I sped into the Rangeman garage. I came to a stop in the middle of the garage, and stumbled out of the car leaving my keys in the ignition. Still holding the key fob I staggered to the elevator on legs too unsteady to run. By the time I exited the elevator I was trembling so violently I had trouble walking. I made my way to the door, but before I could try the fob the door swung open. Ranger, obviously having been alerted to my arrival, stepped through the door and I fell into his arms.

"Babe." He swung me into his arms and carried me into his living room and sat on the sofa, his arms tightly wrapped around me. "Stephanie, what did he do to you? How did Brown hurt you?" I made a conscious effort to slow my breathing. I couldn't stop the body tremors, but Ranger's tight hold on me made them seem less spastic.

"It wasn't Jamie," I gasped out. I was dangerously close to hyperventilating. "It's me. I'm losing my mind. I just saw a ghost. I saw a dead man and he smiled at me. It was Jorge Rivera."

"Babe, where did you see him?"

"In my parking lot," I said. I was starting to breathe easier. Ranger's hold on me was firm and I was responding to the security of it. My chest was feeling less and less like it would explode. "I pulled into my lot and he was leaning against the wall of my building smoking a cigarette. He started walking toward me, and I put the car in reverse and began to drive away. When I looked again he was gone." I looked up at Ranger. I could see the concern on his face. "Am I losing my mind, Ranger?" He didn't answer, he just pulled me closer.

He reached over and picked his phone up from the table. "I need you up here now, and bring Hal." He continued to hold me, his hands making soft circles on my back. A few minutes later the door to the apartment opened. Ranger moved me gently from his lap and walked into the foyer. I heard the murmur of low male voices and then the door slamming. Ranger was back at my side.

He reached down and pulled my pumps off letting them drop to the floor. He sat next to me and pulled my feet onto his lap. He ran his fingertips lightly over my red varnished toenails. "Pretty," he said smiling. His hand moved up to my left ankle where sores from the ankle bracelet had healed leaving a slight discoloration. He lifted my foot and reached down and kissed the inside of my ankle. My heart started racing again and my breathing became fast. Calm down, I told myself. This was just a friendly gesture, right? He wasn't going to send any more mixed messages. He was just being friendly.

"Stephanie, tell me what you remember from Costa Rica."

"Are you sure you want to hear?" I asked. "I tried to tell Joe, but he got so angry he put his fist through the wall."

"Babe, did he put his fist through the wall in anger or because he felt guilty?" I thought about that for a moment. I knew Joe felt he was, in part, responsible for what happened to me. Would Ranger react with violence? I was about to find out. I started, haltingly, telling Ranger about the bits and pieces of my memory. I told him of my total belief that I would die.

The words started to come easier and, although there was no cohesiveness, my memories were laid out before Ranger as they tumbled from my mind. I told him about the dreams and my lack of sleep. I told him Lula had seen what was happening to me and she kept after me to get help, but I hadn't listened to her.

"Tonight," I said, "when Jamison touched me my mind flew back to Costa Rica. I couldn't even enjoy a simple caress. Then when I thought I saw Rivera, I totally lost it. Am I having hallucinations?" I asked.

"I don't know, babe. How did Jamie touch you?"

"He touched me like a gentleman," I said. "He was wonderful company and I enjoyed myself until he reached out and ran his hand up my arm, and then I just freaked out. I embarrassed myself. He was very kind. Why do you ask?"

"You were very upset when you arrived here. I just wanted to make sure you were upset about Rivera, that there wasn't more to your encounter with Brown than you were saying."

"Jamie Brown probably thinks I'm psycho and maybe I am." I was tired. My legs felt like lead. I didn't know if I could make it to the door let alone to my car and home. I didn't want to be alone tonight. I was frightened and the thought of another night of horrible dreams was more than I could handle.

"Ranger, do friends sleep together?"

"They do tonight, babe." He pulled me up from the sofa and walked with me into his bedroom. He went to his closet and pulled a Rangeman t-shirt out. "Here, get ready for bed. I have to go down to five for a while, but you're safe in this apartment."

"You're coming back, aren't you?" I asked. I hated sounding so needy, but I didn't want to be alone.

"I'll be back, babe." He left the apartment a short time later.

I undressed and found a hanger in the closet for my dress. I pulled the t-shirt on over my head and got into bed. As tired as I was, I stared at the ceiling and waited for sleep to come. It didn't. I heard the door to the apartment open and I could hear Ranger moving around the living room. I got out of bed and walked out to see him sitting in the armchair deep in thought. When he saw me he motioned for me to sit down.

"It wasn't a ghost, babe. Tank found this." He turned to the table and picked up a small plastic bag containing a cigarette butt.

"That makes you think I really saw Rivera?" I asked. "Anyone could have left that there."

"This cigarette is known as a ducato negro. It's sold in Spain and can be legally imported into the US. Locally the only company to import it was Rivera Import-Export. I believe Jorge Rivera is alive and in Trenton. I thought the report of his death was odd. The reason I was in Costa Rica so long after you left is that I was trying to confirm it was really Rivera who fell from the parasail. I could never get positive proof because the body was never recovered."

"What about Manuel?" I asked.

"He's dead and I suspect his father was responsible for the airplane crash. When I went to Brazil I couldn't get the idea that Jorge Rivera was alive out of my mind. I told you earlier about the pipeline for human trafficking. The Chinese mafia runs a huge worldwide trafficking operation. Some of it is prostitution and some of it is old-fashioned slavery. They use drugs to keeps their victims helpless. Rivera was in the middle of it all and his whole business was about to come tumbling down around him. He was in a lot of trouble when he left Trenton and his death was remarkably well timed. I've been suspicious all along and you've given us the first piece of evidence."

Ranger picked up his phone and punched in a number. I could hear the click of a connection and then Ranger said, "I'd like to speak to Special Agent John Mitchell, tonight. Tell him to call Carlos Manoso. It could be a matter of life and death. He has my number." He disconnected. Less than five minutes later his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and then pushed the speaker phone button.

"Manoso."

"Mr. Manoso, this is John Mitchell. I understand you have some information for me."

"Jorge Rivera is alive and in Trenton."

Silence, then, "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I have an eye witness and a piece of evidence which strongly supports her story. I thought this information would be important to your ongoing investigation."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Manoso, but I can't comment on any investigation."

"I'm not asking you to," Ranger said harshly. "I'm giving you information that may help an associate of mine stay alive. Make sure Morelli has this information. A lot of people will be upset if his cover is blown and he is in danger because you didn't pass on accurate information."

"Thank you," Mitchell responded. "I'll take this to the appropriate people."

"See that you do," Ranger said and he disconnected. He held out his hand to me. "Let's go to bed, babe. There will be plenty of time to think about all this tomorrow." I walked with Ranger into his bedroom and crawled back under the covers. He turned the lights out and a few minutes later I felt him slip into bed. We weren't touching and we didn't talk, but I found comfort in his presence. I slipped into a deep and wonderfully dreamless sleep.

I awoke once during the night. Ranger's body was pressed close to mine and his arm was wrapped around me, his hand cupping my breast through the t-shirt. He was perfectly still. I listened to his breathing and realized he was fast asleep. I smiled in secret satisfaction and snuggled closer to him letting myself drift back to sleep.

18. Back in the Real World

I was alone in the bed when the early morning sun woke me. I heard movement in the outer room and male voices. More than two. I pulled back the covers and mindless of my attire I walked into the living room. Tank and Hal stood with Ranger in deep conversation. Hal saw me first. His eyes widened, but he didn't say anything. Tank saw me next and turned his head away, but he wasn't quick enough. I saw the smile. Ranger turned around and stared for a moment. "We let you sleep late, babe. Better get dressed so I can take you by your place to get ready for the day."

I made my way into Ranger's bathroom and looked in the mirror. My hair was totally flattened against my head on the left side and standing straight out on the right. It wasn't one of my better mornings, but I felt so good after a full night's sleep that I didn't care. I pulled off the t-shirt and hopped in the shower. It had been months since I'd indulged in Ranger's shower. I used the Bulgari liberally. Ten minutes later, I was wrapped in a big towel going through Ranger's closet looking for clothing I could wear back to my apartment. I didn't want to put the dress from the night before back on. I found a pair of yoga pants I'd left there many months before. They were clean and hanging at the back of the closet, compliments of Ella I thought. I found yet another clean Rangeman t-shirt and got dressed.

The pants that used to fit or even be a little snug now hung on me. I walked to the mirror and took a good look at myself. It was a wakeup call. No wonder Lula had been worried. I must have lost ten pounds. I looked like a skeleton. Time for some changes I thought. I walked into the living room to find Ranger waiting. "I'll take you home, babe. You can get dressed for the day and pack some clothes. You'll be staying here for a while."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes. It's what friends do for each other. You need some help and I'm going to give it to you. No price, babe." I walked across the room and threw my arms around him.

"Thanks," I said, "I got a full night's sleep for the first time in well over a week. I feel great." I started to walk to the door, but I was redirected by Ranger's arm coaxing me to the kitchen.

"Ella's brought breakfast," Ranger said.

"Thanks, but I'm not too hungry. I'll just eat a donut later."

"Babe, she went to extra effort for you. She'll be disappointed if you don't eat." I recognized the truth in his words. Sighing I sat myself down in front of a plate of fresh fruit and an egg white omelet. There was a basket of freshly baked muffins. I wasn't hungry when I took the first bite, but the more I ate the better I felt. I had to wonder if not eating had gotten to be a habit. I finished by cleaning my plate and having an extra glass of juice. Ranger sat next to me and quietly ate an identical breakfast.

"Thanks," he said to me. "I don't like to upset Ella and your effort will make her very happy."

We walked down the stairs and got into Ranger's Porsche. "Where's my car?" I asked.

"It's getting a little special attention," Ranger said.

"Special attention as in you're installing a tracker?" I questioned.

"That, and a few other security measures, like an anti-theft system."

We were quiet on the way to my apartment, each with our own thoughts. My thoughts were clear. I didn't know if it was because Ranger believed I'd really seen Rivera or if it was just the effect of a good night's sleep followed by a healthy breakfast, but I was starting to feel hopeful about my future. I was sure Rangeman and the FBI could catch Rivera. I didn't feel the low level fear and anxiety I'd been living with since Costa Rica. It was gone and I was glad about that.

I turned to Ranger. "Can we stop by the bakery? I'm still hungry for a donut and I'd like to take some into Connie and Lula." I looked for my purse and realized I'd left it in my car.

"It's behind the seat," Ranger said, his ESP obviously working, "but the donuts will be my treat." When we pulled up in front of the Tasty Pastry he handed me a twenty and said, "Knock yourself out, babe." I came out a few minutes later with two Boston Crèmes in a bag for me and a box of a dozen assorted for Connie and Lula.

We pulled into the parking lot of my apartment a few minutes later and I waited for the panic to hit as I looked toward the area I'd seen Rivera standing the night before. It didn't come. As I started to get out Ranger put a hand on my arm. "We'll go up together, babe, and then I'll take you to the bond's office. I don't want you to be alone today. I've got a team looking for Rivera, but as long as you are with someone I think you'll be okay. He's without backup until he can make some new connections. It's not easy being a dead man. I don't think any of his former associates are aware he's alive. I'll send one of my men over with your car later on, then you can drive it back to Rangeman at the end of the day. Call me and let me know you're coming."

It seemed Ranger had my day all planned. My association with Ranger went from one extreme to another. For months he would barely acknowledge my existence and now he was micro managing. There was a real concern for my safety, but it went beyond that. I knew there was more than simple friendship between us. I was convinced of that. I thought he knew it, too. Someday, if the time was right…I couldn't go down that road now because the time wasn't right. But someday…

Ranger dropped me off at the bonds office and I walked in to find Lula deep in conversation with Connie. "Good morning," I said, "I brought donuts." I set my offering on the desk and became aware of the silence. They'd obviously been talking about me.

"Well," I said. "What is it?" They looked at one another. "You might as well tell me because I won't give you a moment's peace until you tell me what you were saying about me.

"Jamison called," Connie said. "He said you were very upset last night and he just called to see if you were doing okay. I told him I'd have you call him when you got in."

"What were you upset about, Stephanie?" Lula asked. "We're worried about you. Connie and I know you went through something terrible in Costa Rica and you just aren't getting over it. I think you need to talk to someone."

I sighed and helped myself to a donut and then went and sat on the new sofa. "I stayed at Ranger's place last night," I said. Connie rolled the chair from behind the desk to face me. Lula dropped down on the sofa beside me. "You did what?" she asked.

Connie said, "What happened to your date with Jamie?"

"Jamie and I went out to dinner and had a nice time, but all evening long I kept having flashbacks to the time when I was imprisoned in Costa Rica. I was kept in a cell chained to a bed for over a week. They drugged me and sent men into my cell to inspect me. I thought I was going to be sold as a sex slave. I was convinced I would die, but unbelievably Ranger found me. At first I was okay. Sometime around the time Vinnie died things got worse. I haven't been sleeping well and I have little or no appetite. Every time I go to sleep I dream and they aren't pleasant dreams. When I went home after dinner with Jamison last night I thought I saw a ghost. There was a man leaning against the wall of my building, staring at me. It looked like Jorge Rivera and I freaked out and went to Rangeman."

They were leaning forward waiting for what I would say next. I told them of Ranger's belief that I'd not seen a ghost. "It seems Ranger has suspected something was off about Jorge's death. Like maybe he planned it himself. He now thinks Rivera is alive and well in Trenton, and that he is responsible for his son Manuel's death." There was silence in the office while they absorbed what I'd said. The sound of the phone ringing in the quiet made me jump. Connie turned to pick it up. At the same time Lula's cell rang. She answered and stepped outside to take the call.

Connie handed me the phone. "It's Jamison," she said.

"Hello," I said.

"Stephanie, it's Jamie. I wanted to call and see how you're doing this morning. I was a little worried when I left you last evening."

"Thanks," I said. "I'm feeling much better. I got a good night's sleep and I feel energized this morning." I saw Connie glance over speculatively. She knew where I'd spent the night and I could only imagine what she was thinking.

"I have something to ask you," he said. "I was going to do it last night and I didn't. I thought it might spoil our lovely evening and I was too selfish to want our time to end on a bad note because of something I said." He had my full attention. I couldn't imagine what he was going to say.

"Go on," I encouraged him. "Ask away."

"All right," I heard him draw a deep breath. "I know Vinnie wrote the original bond on Charles Goodson and Goodson failed to appear. Did you by any chance bring him in?"

"Yes," I said a little confused at the direction the conversation was taking. "He had a huge bond and I had a nice payday."

""Well, against my better judgment, I rebonded him. He's back on the streets awaiting trial." I was surprised to say the least.

"They reset bail on him?" I asked.

"Yes, a half million," Jamison said. "I never would have put up that amount, but he said he could cover over half the bail, so I wrote the bond for the second half. I didn't think he was much of a flight risk when he was putting up a quarter million of his own money. What's really concerning me is a comment he made. He said, 'I'm gonna pay the bitch back that cost me this money.'"

"Great," I said. "I think you're talking to that bitch. Thanks for the warning though. I'll keep my eyes open for him." I disconnected with Jamison and looked up to see Lula walk back into the office. Her cell phone was dangling from her hand and she was visibly upset.

"I just got some real bad news," she said. "Do you remember my friend, Maryanne?"

"Yes," I said a tiny strand of fear starting to wind its way throughout my body. "She works for Madam Vancha."

"Yeah, well maybe not anymore," Lula said. "Her sister just called me. Somehow that ass Charles Goodson got himself bonded out of jail."

"I know," I said. "Jamie Brown just called and said he bonded him out."

"Goodson called Madam Vancha for a girl and he asked for Maryanne," Lula said. "She went to his apartment just like before and he tortured her. He beat her and cut her and then the SOB tied her up and burned her. He kept asking her who the girl was at Madam Vancha's who turned him into the cops. She finally told him 'cause she was afraid he was going to kill her."

That little strand of fear had turned into a big rope squeezing my gut until I couldn't breathe. "Is she okay?" I asked.

"No, she's in bad shape," Lula said. "Her sister called to say that she is in the hospital. When she gave Goodson your name he turned her loose and threw her on the elevator. The doorman called the police and ambulance. She told her sister to call and warn you. She thinks he might be looking for you next. When the police came he was gone. They're looking for him."

The door to the bonds office opened and we all swung around to see Tank filling the doorway. "I'm here to help Lula with some FTAs," he said. "Ranger said you might want to come with us, Stephanie."

Before I could answer, Lula said, "Change of plans, Tank. I got to go to the hospital. Charles Goodson just about killed one of my friends last night. Will you take me?"

"Yes," Tank said. "I didn't know Goodson was back out."

"Jamie Brown bonded him out," I said. "I may be the next on his list. He apparently isn't too happy with the bitch that brought him in last time."

"Does Ranger know any of this?" Tank asked.

"No," I sighed. "I'll call and tell him. I've got to call Jamie back, too. He needs to know what his client did. I'm thinking Goodson will miss his next court date, too."

"Why don't you come with Lula and me to the hospital," Tank suggested. "I'd like to make sure you stay safe."

"No thanks," I said. "I need to spend some time on the computer this morning. There's more to this Charles Goodson story than we know. I can feel it. Why was his bond so high to start with. Maybe I can uncover something that will help the police find him."

"I don't know, Stephanie," Tank continued. "I really think Ranger would want you in a more controlled environment."

Connie walked over to her desk and opened the top drawer. She pulled out the biggest handgun I'd ever seen and clicked the safety off, sitting it on the desk top. Lula, Tank and I stared at the gun. "It's my new Smith and Wesson five hundred magnum, the world's most powerful handgun." She picked up a certificate that had been lying on her desk. "Here's the proof I know how to use it. Stephanie will be just fine here with me this morning." Tank stood immobile for a short time, then he turned toward Connie and with an almost imperceptible head nod he ushered Lula out the door to his waiting SUV.

I went into the back office and booted up the computer. I called Jamison to update him on the situation with Goodson and told him I was going to spend the morning doing research to see if I could get any clue to where he might be hiding. "Let me come over and bring my files," he said. "We can go to lunch and see if I have anything on him that would be of help, plus I might be able to use some of your information. It's looking like he will be FTA."

"Okay," I said. "Who do you use for bond enforcement?" I wondered who I could possibly be helping to a big payday.

"I use several," he responded. "But for someone this big I'll probably use Jeanne Ellen Burrows or Carlos Manoso." That was great. I hoped he would use one or the other and not both of them. We agreed he'd pick me up for lunch and I disconnected to call Ranger before I got down to some serious cyber searching.

"Yo."

"Hi," I said. "I've had some interesting news since you dropped me off." I told him about the comment Goodson made to Jamie and about Maryanne. "I'm not too worried yet," I told him. "I'm sure he'd never recognize me. I was in costume the only time we ever met and I certainly didn't look like myself." Ranger was quiet and I knew he was remembering his reaction to me in dominatrix gear. His silence made strange little electric shocks run straight to my nipples. I looked down to see them through my shirt almost as prominent as when I had the fake ones on. There was a fire low in my belly and it was traveling south making it hard for me to sit still in the chair.

Ranger's voice was husky as he said, "I'll send someone to pick you up. You can do your searches at Rangeman today."

"No," I said. "I can't. Jamie is coming over to take me to lunch. We're going to compare files and see what we can come up with."

"You're going to lunch with Jamison Brown?" he asked softly. "He's a serial monogamist, babe. He moves from woman to woman never looking back. Do you think you need that complication in your life right now?"

19. Unhealthy Connections

I spent the morning reading everything I could on Charles Goodson. When I made his apprehension I was freshly back from Costa Rica and I'd just made the decision to end it with Joe. I thought Lula and I had devised a very good plan and we had. It had worked perfectly, but I realized as I perused the search programs we had that there was way more to Goodson than I ever imagined. He was the CFO for five different small businesses. All of the businesses were subsidiaries for a larger holding company. The only information I had for the holding company was a name. I couldn't find an address or any other pertinent information. I thought that was significant, but I wasn't sure why. I just thought the more I knew the better. Our search programs were good, but Rangeman's were better. Maybe I'd try them later in the day.

I heard the front door to the office open. I shut down the computer and went into the outer office. Jamie had just walked in and he stood staring at the huge handgun on Connie's desk. Connie picked it up and put the safety on. She handed it to Jamie for his inspection. "It's my new toy," she said. "Dirty Harry's wet dream." Jamie held the gun reverently, speechless after Connie's description. I decided to rescue him.

"Hi, are you ready for lunch? Let me get my research from this morning and we can be on our way."

"That's great," He smiled and I thought again he was a very attractive man. I hadn't ever considered him anything other than a friend, but I thought maybe I should reconsider. He was physically fit, handsome, mature and kind. If I didn't feel the same electric reaction in his presence that I did in Ranger's that didn't mean it wouldn't come later. It was clear Ranger meant to stay true to his 'friends only' rule. I thought Jamison looked like the kind of man that would treat me well and maybe I deserved a little of that. I walked over and stood on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"Thanks for your concern about my safety. I appreciate it."

We went to Pino's for lunch. Jamie let me choose and I thought I'd be safe there because it would be filled with people I knew. I also knew my mother would be getting a report on the man I ate lunch with. I'd tell her he was a business associate. He was.

After lunch we sat looking at my morning's work. "I found that Goodson was listed as CFO for these five companies. They're all subsidiaries of a larger holding company, R & G Enterprises. I can find no information on R & G. No address or phone number, no business profile."

Jami looked at my research. "Basically you have what I have," he said. "Only I have Goodson listed as CFO of a sixth company as well, Rivera Imports. He embezzled from three of the six companies." Little white spots danced in front of my eyes. I could feel my blood pressure climb as anxiety tightened my chest and my breathing became labored. How had I missed the sixth company?

"R & G Enterprises," I murmured. "Rivera and Goodson. The holding company is owned by Jorge Rivera and Mark Goodson. I think this is some bizarre money laundering scheme. I bet most of these businesses aren't even legitimate. For some reason Goodson wanted to be caught." I sat there, my mind spinning with the implication of what I'd discovered. I had two crazy men after me and they were partners in crime. "I have a story to tell you." I said, and I started with my kidnapping and rescue and finished with my sighting of Rivera last evening.

"That's a lot to think about, Stephanie. I had no idea you'd been through so much." He reached out and clasped my hand in his. "I can't make any sense of it. I'm sure there is a logical explanation, but we need more information." He looked around the restaurant. The lunch crowd had thinned out. "I hate to end this lunch," he said, "but I should probably be getting you back. "

I agreed and we left the restaurant. I looked up and down the street and saw nothing suspicious, except the unmistakable silhouette of a large black Rangeman SUV. I should have been comforted by it. Ranger was taking care of me, after all. I was angry. I didn't stop to examine the emotion, I just went with it. Jamison opened the door for me and I turned to tell him thanks for the lunch. I found myself standing against his chest looking up into his black-lashed blue eyes with the crinkly smile lines. We stared at each other for a moment. Slowly his head lowered to mine.

He was going to kiss me and I made the decision I was going to kiss him back. His lips were on mine, the pressure light but persistent. I felt his tongue probe my mouth and I opened for him. It was nice. It was pleasurable, and then he grasped my arms as he plunged his tongue past my teeth, exploring my mouth.

Without warning it happened. I was in my cell in Costa Rica. I was actually there. I could hear the clink of the chain around my leg. I felt the pain as rough hands explored my mostly naked body. I pulled back, a shudder coursing through my body. Immediately, Jamie lifted his head. "Stephanie?"

"I'm sorry," I said, struggling to find words. I focused my gaze on his kind eyes and willed myself back into the present. "I thought I was ready. I want to be ready, but I'm just not over my recent experience. I am getting better, though." I said it to convince myself as well as him. I offered him a little smile and he hugged me briefly before he settled me in the passenger seat. The Rangeman SUV was gone and I wondered if Ranger had been behind the wheel, if he'd seen the kiss. We arrived at the bonds office and once again Jamie asked me to call him when I thought I was ready to see him. "I want to see you, Stephanie, but I don't want to pressure you. I don't think you need any more pressure right now." I smiled and thanked him for being so considerate.

I told Ranger I was going to take a lover, but I hadn't really meant it. Now I was wondering if I could. Lula was right. When all this was over, I was going to have to talk to someone. I couldn't go on like this. I wanted Ranger, but I was afraid that if he ever let something start between us I wouldn't be able to finish it. I wasn't really getting better at all.

I'd been back at the bonds office only a few moments when Lula and Tank came back in. "Did you visit Maryanne?" I asked.

"Yeah," Lula said, "and she looks terrible. But the doctor says she'll be okay. The bastard left her tied up all night long and used her as a punching bag between calls. She said he was on the phone talking to someone off and on all night. You can tell Jamison Brown if Goodson goes FTA he'll be in Philadelphia."

"How can you know that?" I asked.

"Because Maryanne heard him tell some guy on the phone that he was going to join him in Philadelphia until the business got reorganized. He said they could lay low there." I thought about that for a moment. Was Philadelphia one of the places the FBI had suspected Rivera of expanding into? I couldn't remember for sure, but I thought it was. I wondered if this information would be helpful to Joe. I'd ask Ranger what he thought and maybe he'd contact John Mitchell with the new information.

I noticed Tank and Connie had walked into the back office as Lula and I were talking. Lula must have noticed it as well because she went to see what was going on. I sat on the sofa and tried to channel my thoughts, which were ping-ponging around my brain. If Jorge was hiding out in Philadelphia I could be in trouble. Philly was pretty close to Trenton. Maybe I should take a little vacation. I needed to talk this out with Ranger.

I looked up to see Tank walking toward me. "I've talked to Connie and she says she is just fine here without you. Ranger wants me to bring you back to Haywood."

"Okay," I said, surprising everyone. I wasn't going to fight anything Ranger wanted because I knew he could keep me safe. I got up off the sofa and went to get my purse. The door opened and Grandma Mazur walked in.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "How did you get down here?"

"Your dad dropped me off," she said. "I'm here for my part-time job, but I'm going to need a ride home. Can you take me, Stephanie?"

"I'll take you, Edna," Lula said. "Stephanie has plans to go to Rangeman this afternoon. She was just leaving. If you're doing the filing I'll be happy to take you home. We'll take the t-tops off my baby and go for a little cruise."

"I knew I'd like working here," Grandma said. "Stephanie, you look tired. Are you feeling okay?" Suddenly emotional, I walked over and gave her a hug.

"Yeah, Grandma, I'm fine," I lied. "My car is getting some work done on it so I have to go with Tank. He's my ride. Have fun filing." Connie must have been expecting her because she showed Grandma what she'd set aside for her to file. It made me realize I wasn't pulling my weight at the bonds office. Connie was running it, and although she was doing a good job I needed to do my share of the work. I needed to fix me.

We arrived back at Rangeman and I went directly to five to start doing research on Jorge Rivera and Mark Goodson. I couldn't find a single thing that linked them together, but I was sure R & G Enterprises was Rivera and Goodson. I felt the little hairs at the back of my neck stand on end and I knew Ranger was behind me. "I've had an interesting day," I said. "I found a connection between Rivera and Goodson."

Ranger pulled up a chair next to mine. "Show me," he said. We sat together going over every piece of information we could find.

"I'm done with this," Ranger said after an hour. He stretched and stood up extending a hand to pull me from my chair. "I'm going to put Silvio on it. If there's something to find that does prove R & G is Rivera and Goodson, he can find it." He made the call and turned to me. "I'm going to the gym to spar with Ram. After that, I'm going to seven. Do you want to come and watch, maybe run on the treadmill? It's a great stress releaser." I surprised him. I said yes.

I watched Ranger and Ram. It was fascinating. I didn't walk on the treadmill, I sat on it. It was as if it was a choreographed dance. The kicking and punching each accompanied by low throat grunts of effort captured my attention completely. It looked like they were killing each other, but there was no blood and at the end they did a fist bump and left the mat. Ranger was breathing heavy and was covered with sweat.

"C'mon, babe" he said, picking up his previously discarded t-shirt. Let's go up to the apartment. I need a shower and Ella is bringing us dinner." We walked to the elevator and made our way to seven.

Ranger went straight to the shower. I went straight to Ranger's cell phone. I looked at the call log and made note of his last call. I quickly added Silvio's number to my phone and placed Ranger's back on the table. I knew exactly what he had planned for the evening. Ella would bring up a delicious dinner, which we would eat in companionable silence. Then Ranger would tell me what he'd found out today in his search for Jorge, and lastly he would bring up the subject of a safe house. I would agree to his suggestion, which would throw his plan completely off kilter. He would be expecting an argument from me. I had no wish to be caught again by Jorge Rivera so I'd do whatever was necessary to stay safe. I'd go to a safe place. If Silvio could get proof that Rivera and Goodson were working together then I would go someplace completely unexpected. I would go to visit Silvio's grandparents in Costa Rica.

Ranger had said Esperanza had wanted me to visit again and if Jorge was ensconced in Philadelphia, where would I be safer than in Costa Rica? I was sure Silvio would help me with my plan because Ranger had already suggested it to me and I was sure he'd told Silvio as well. I thought maybe needing closure wasn't just psycho babble. I needed to see what was left of the place where I was held captive. I needed to know I would never have to be there again. Maybe that would give me some control over my fear.

The evening went much as Ranger had planned. First, there was the dinner and I found I did have an appetite. After dinner we had conversation about Jorge and Goodson. I asked Ranger if he could figure out why Goodson had embezzled from a company he'd owned. The evening took a detour from the plan when I mentioned my lunch with Jamison.

"Jamie and I tried to figure it out at lunch, but we couldn't come up with any ideas either." I saw Ranger frown at the mention of his name. "Was that you in the SUV?" I asked. He responded with a question of his own.

"You'd said you would take a lover. Is he your choice?" I was surprised by the harshness of his voice. I wanted to say yes, just to see his reaction, but I couldn't do it. We were supposed to be building our friendship so I decided to be honest.

"No, I don't think so." I said. To my horror, my eyes filled with tears as I continued. "I may never have another lover again."

Ranger misinterpreted my tears. "Are you missing Morelli? Regretting your decision to turn down his proposal?"

"No," I said vehemently. "Morelli and I were working toward something very good before Costa Rica. You'd been absent for quite a while and even before you left you showed me you were no longer interested."

"When I came back," I continued, "things had changed. I was angry at him for letting me be kidnapped. When he asked me to marry him I realized it would never work. He tried to rekindle the physical side of our relationship, but I recoiled from every touch. I thought I'd get over it, but I haven't."

I sat on the sofa and wiped my tears away before I continued. "I'm damaged, Ranger."

He came and sat beside me putting an arm around my shoulders. He cupped my chin with his other hand and turned me to face him. "What exactly do you mean by damaged, Stephanie?" he asked.

"I mean," I said softly, "that last night and today when Jamie kissed me it started out nice and suddenly everything changed. I could feel the hands of the men who touched me when I was locked up. I could hear the chain on my leg clinking and I could smell the musty dampness of my mattress. I don't think I can ever be with a man again, Ranger." I began to sob without control and buried my face against his chest.

Ranger moved and pulled me onto his lap still keeping his arms tightly around me. I kept my face buried in his shirt, my tears being absorbed into it. He didn't move or make a sound until my sobbing had subsided into soft hitching breaths. Then he softly said, "You said I'd shown you I was no longer interested. That's not so. I'm always interested. You're the main focus of my life, but my life won't allow me to act on my feelings. It wouldn't be fair to you."

I pulled my head back and pushed my hair away from my face. Crying is not one of my more attractive traits and I know my nose was red and my complexion splotchy. I could see most of my mascara on his shirt, but to his credit Ranger met my gaze without a flinch.

"It's not your life that puts me in danger," I said. "It's my life. I wouldn't be alive right now if it wasn't for you, but it doesn't matter anymore. It's no longer your choice to keep our relationship strictly friends. That's all I have to offer. I can't be anyone's lover. I think it'll be okay and then in the middle of a kiss I see the scarred hands of the man who…"

I got up off the sofa and walked toward his bedroom. I stood in silence for a few minutes not knowing what to do next. I sighed and made my way to the bathroom where I stripped off, letting my clothes fall to the floor and stepped into the shower. I could barely choke down food these days, I couldn't enjoy a simple kiss without having a psychotic episode, but the thought of standing in Ranger's magnificent shower inhaling Bulgari-scented steam still was appealing to me and I was going to take what little joy I could.

I stood under the endless spray of hot water, not thinking, letting the jets pummel me from all sides, and I cried again. I cried large body racking sobs until the tension left me. When there were no tears left, I once again became aware of the sensation of the water. I heard the sound of the door opening and called out, "Ranger?" There was no response, and then without warning he was in the shower with me, his perfectly proportioned, mocha latte muscled nakedness gleaming with the spray of water and steam. "Wh-What are you doing?" I stammered. Instinctively, my arms rose to cover my breasts. He reached out with his hand and stopped the progression of my attempt to shield my nakedness.

"Tomorrow, Babe, I'll be your friend. But tonight I'm your lover. I'm going to show you just how much of a woman you are, and if you have flashbacks, you will keep your eyes open and remember that it's me, Carlos, and there will be no pain, only pleasure."

20. A Safe House

I stood unmoving, unable to take my gaze off his, the thought of letting my eyes trail downward not even forming in my shell-shocked brain. He took a shower sponge and liberally coated it with Bulgari. He held my hand and began to lightly caress it slowly moving the sponge in small circles up my arm. He lathered every part of both my arms with infinite tenderness and dipped his foamy hand down to leave a trail of bubbles between my breasts.

He ministered to each breast making sure that no part of them was left without the cling of Bulgari scent. Desire was slamming against my ribs like waves against the shore, knocking me back against the wall. My conviction I couldn't be with a man again was totally forgotten. He dropped to his knees and began with my feet working his way up the inside of one thigh and then moving up the other. I looked down at the top of his head, his eyes level on his work. I moaned closing my own eyes and letting my head fall backward. He rose and pressed himself against me. I could feel his desire prodding me where his hands had recently caressed. I felt his lips at the base of my neck and heard him murmur against me, "Open your eyes and see that it is me giving you this pleasure." I did and he slipped the sponge into my hands. "Your turn, babe."

I started slowly, as he had done, taking my time to cover every ridge of muscle with lather. My hand reached around to his back pulling him closer to me as I brought the sponge over his shoulder and down to circle one flat male nipple and then the other. I dropped the sponge and reached down to take him in my hands sliding my slick palms up and down over the length of him. "Stephanie," he moaned my name, drawing out every syllable. He took my hands and wrapped them around his neck pulling me close to him and in the direct path of the spray, the trails of lather running down our bodies diluting into rivulets of water.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked wondering why he had stopped my lathered massage so quickly.

"No, babe, you did too much right." He turned the spray off and we stood wet and steaming against each other. He reached for a towel and as we stepped out of the shower he began to retrace his earlier path leaving no part of me untouched by the soft terrycloth. I took a towel and did the same for him, once again being stopped when my hands lingered too long for his control. He stood behind me and we both faced the mirror. His hand reached up to my hair and began slowly and painlessly separating the tangled mess into soft damp curls. I watched his hands and when my gaze turned to his face I saw him watching me with the same expression he'd had the day Esperanza ran her hands through my mess of curls in the little room of her little pensión.

He turned me to him and kissed me with a suddenness that changed the tempo of his touch from quiet gentleness to hungered passion and I responded fully with no thought of Costa Rica or anything but the wonder of pure sensation coursing through me. He swung me up in his arms and carried me to the bed where our friendship only status died and something else immediately bloomed. No matter what words passed between us in the future we were undeniably lovers, our souls locked together just as surely as our bodies.

The first grey light of dawn was showing at the window when I awoke in a tangle of sheets. A warm arm was holding me closely against an equally warm body and a shiver trembled through me. Ranger pulled the sheet more fully over me and whispered a question in my ear, "Cold?"

With a new found courage I decided to be honest. I rolled over to face him. "No, not cold," I said. "Terrified. Its morning and I don't want this night to be over. I don't want to be just your friend. I want this night to have been the beginning, not the end."

His arms tightened around me and he buried his face in my hair drawing in a slow breath, taking in my scent. He was still, his hold on me not loosening. When he spoke his voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

"Babe, this is a beginning. I was a fool to think I could stay away from you. I thought I would help you regain yourself once more, as a woman. The things I've said to you before, about relationships and friendships, are no longer plausible. You are part of my life now. I don't know what the future will bring. There was a time when I didn't even think I had a future. Whatever happens, we will face it together and you will never be less to me than you are now."

"What am I now, Ranger?"

"Everything."

He pulled me on top of him, his mouth finding mine with hunger and urgency. As the last dark corners of night disappeared into the gray shadows of early dawn our simultaneous cries of release echoed off the walls. When morning light flooded the room we made love again.

There was no breakfast that day. By the time we made our appearance on five the morning was well underway. I sat in Ranger's office and watched him coordinate the search for Rivera from his desk. I'd made an attempt to leave and show up at the bonds office, but he'd told me it was agreed upon by Tank and Connie that I was taking a leave of absence until this whole thing was over. Hopefully, that wouldn't be too long. We were meeting Tank and Lester for lunch at Shorty's and I was ravenous.

My cell vibrated against my hip and I pulled it from my pocket to check the text. I looked at the blank screen in puzzlement and felt the vibration again against my hip even though my phone was in my hand. "Oh jeez!" I exclaimed.

Ranger looked up from his computer, "What?" he asked.

"I thought I was getting a text message," I said still staring down at the blank screen on my phone. "It was just my stomach growling. When's lunch? I'm starving."

"Babe." I looked up to see the full two hundred watt smile on Ranger's face. Then what started out a chuckle became a huge laugh. I just stared at him. I could count the times on one hand that I'd heard his laugh. "It's good to hear you say you're hungry." He came around from behind the desk grabbing my hand. "Let's go now. We can get an early start on Lester and Tank." His cell rang and he stopped mid-stride to answer it.

"Yo." He listened for a moment and then disconnected. "That was Silvio. He found the connection. R & G Enterprises is Rivera and Goodson."

By the time Lester and Tank joined us at Shorty's I was on my second piece of pizza and I had my eye on a third. Ranger was eating a salad without dressing. Tank slid in across from me and looked from me to Ranger, a slow smile breaking out on his face. "You're looking better today, Steph. Staying at Rangeman must be agreeing with you."

"Yes," I replied nonchalantly, "but I'm still having trouble sleeping. I didn't get more than a couple of hours last night." Ranger cleared his throat and the attention turned toward him. He wasn't going to let the conversation drift into his personal business. "Have you talked to Silvio?" he asked Tank.

"Yes," he said. "I think the fact that Rivera showed himself to Stephanie the other night isn't at all a good sign. He risked and in fact did blow a carefully constructed cover to see her.

He was speaking about me like I wasn't there so I reminded him of my presence by asking, "Do you think it was some weird intimidation thing or is he really after me?"

"He's really after you. He thinks you're responsible for the demise of his fortress in Costa Rica." Tank shot a look at Ranger and continued. "He's right about that, but the interesting thing is he hasn't yet figured out who your rescuer was. The FBI was so hot on his trail here in Trenton he's assuming it was a government operation, so you're probably pretty safe as long as you stay with Rangeman protection."

"I think so, too. And that's why you're here," Ranger said turning toward Lester. "I want Stephanie put in a safe house and I want you to be with her until this thing is over. I don't think it will take long. It's not as easy for a dead man to hide as you might think, especially when his comrades are busy fighting over the remains of his empire."

"I don't want to go to a safe house," I said.

"I won't compromise on this, babe."

"He's right," Tank said. "You need to be safe and if we're assured of your safety we can act more aggressively to capture Rivera and Goodson."

"I didn't say I wouldn't be safe. I have a good idea I wish you'd listen to before shooting it down." I was close to whining.

"Where do you want to stay if not in a safe house, Stephanie?" Ranger's question was asked with the same touch of condescension I'd heard him use before. Our fabulous night notwithstanding, I was pissed.

"I want to go to Costa Rica," I said, "specifically to San Jose, to stay with Esperanza."

"No." Tank and Ranger spoke in unison. Lester was quiet, listening to the conversation, not participating. "It's too far away," Tank added.

"Listen to my reasoning," I said. "I need to be safe from two very dangerous men." I turned to Ranger. "You can ask Tank because he was there when Maryanne told Lula she overheard a phone conversation between Goodson and someone we now know was Rivera. They are hiding locally. Digging in and waiting until they can reclaim the control of what's left of Rivera's organization."

Tank said, "That's true. We're basing our search on the fact that they're local. Different factions of Rivera's group are in actively reorganizing in a tri-state area with the majority of them operating out of New York. That's why Morelli is in New York."

"Costa Rica is a long way from Trenton," Lester said. "Stephanie would become geographically undesirable to those that are after her."

"Thanks, Lester," I said. He was the first to offer something remotely positive. "It's more than geography, though." It was hard to admit I was less than whole, but I thought it had to be said. "I've been having some flashbacks about what happened to me there. I can't seem to get a grip on my life. I know it sounds like I've been watching one too many a talk show, but I think I need closure. I need to go back to San Jose and see that I'm not in danger. Then maybe I can start to get better." Ranger's eyes met mine and I knew he understood.

"Okay," he said. "I'll make arrangements to get you to Costa Rica with as little public knowledge as possible. I'm going to have you travel under an alias." He pulled out his cell and softly cursed when he saw the low battery light flashing. "Silvio will need to alert his abuela of your arrival. I'll call him when we get back to the office."

I pulled out my cell and paged through the contacts until Silvio's name was highlighted. "Here," I said handing him the phone, "You can use mine." I squirmed in my seat a little under Ranger's intense gaze. I knew he knew. I'd been going to Costa Rica no matter what the outcome of our conversation had been.

"Gentlemen," Ranger said to Lester and Tank who were quietly observing the exchange between Ranger and me, "You can see that muscle is not always the equivalent of power." He reached out and ruffled my hair.

21. Long Distance Conversation

Less than two days after my lunch at Shorty's I was being treated as minor royalty in the home of Esperanza and Diego Porras. I'd been given a room in the main house as I was a guest of honor. Esperanza had been horrified at the details of my previous visit and she was going to show me the kindness and hospitality of her people. I'd been relieved to find their son, Silvio's Tio Raul, lived at home and was fluent in English.

Raul explained to me Esperanza had made it her personal mission to make up for my mistreatment at the hands of her countrymen. He said his mother was fascinated with my eyes and hair. The combination was not seen very often in her country. She wanted to put sparkle back in my eyes and she loved the springing curls that cascaded with no control around my face.

If there was ever any question why Ranger had given up so easily on his original plan to keep me in a safe house, Raul was the answer. Raul was a former member of the Fuerza Pública, the Costa Rican police. He'd been UEI or Costa Rican Special Forces. He knew Ranger through his nephew Silvio. All this was told to me by a very proud Esperanza in her fluid melodic Spanish, punctuated by hand gestures, smiles and soft pats on my arm, leg or any other body part she grasped onto. It was translated to me by Raul in shorter staccato bursts of English mixed with amusement toward his mother and embarrassment at her words of praise for him.

Raul appeared to be unemployed at the moment and he gladly donated a portion of each day to play tour guide for me. San Jose was a bustling metropolis of over two million and I enjoyed my sightseeing. I found the food to be delicious, especially the chocolate-covered coffee beans available in the marketplace. I walked the sidewalks, spent a little time in museums and explored the local shops, all without the fear that had been my constant companion in Trenton.

In my quieter moments, my thoughts were occupied with Ranger and the complete turn we'd made from friends to lovers. I talked to Ranger every day, and that was mostly unsatisfying. Conversations were short and always ended abruptly in typical Rangeman fashion. He always ended with a "miss you, babe." I took some comfort from that. Ranger was holding down the home front and I was in the wind, sort of.

The third day of my visit, I'd just finished the evening meal and settled down to watch _Wheel of Fortune _with Diego and Esperanza. It was the American version and I knew Esperanza didn't understand a word, but she seemed fascinated with the show. My phone rang and the caller ID showed it was Ranger.

"Hi," I said. "Did you get him?"

"Not yet, babe. But we're working on it and I have the answers to a lot of our questions."

"What questions?" I asked.

"We now know why Goodson allowed himself to be caught and charged with embezzling. He wanted to go to jail. Rivera and Goodson were in business together importing drugs and laundering money through several dummy companies. They actually did have a couple of legitimate businesses, but not the import business you visited here in Trenton. They were intermediaries for the Russian mafia, bringing drugs into the country from Costa Rica and sending money back under the cover of Rivera Import-Exports."

"What went wrong?" I asked. "It must have been something serious to make Goodson allow himself to be arrested."

"Rivera, whose primary residence is Costa Rica, saw an opportunity to make more money and get out from under the control of the Russians. He tried to move his business into the area of human trafficking. In order to do that he had to align himself with members of the Chinese mafia who control the human trafficking business in Costa Rica." There was silence while Ranger organized his thoughts. "This is where things start to get complicated," he said.

I burst out laughing, momentarily drawing Esperanza's attention from the prize puzzle, which interestingly turned out to be a trip to Costa Rica. "I think things are already complicated," I said, "but tell me the rest."

"Rivera had hoped to keep his new venture in human trafficking a secret from the Russians until he was well established. The Chinese mafia was helping him move girls into the United States for prostitution and servile work. His connection to the Russians helped him maintain a good supply of drugs to induce children and women to follow his plans." I shivered, realizing that was the exact thing he had done to me. I'd been drugged to the point I couldn't offer any resistance to Rivera's sick scheme.

Ranger must have sensed I was remembering my own experience. "There's a lot more to the story, babe. It can wait for another time. How have you been passing your days?"

"I've been a tourist. Raul has taken me sightseeing and Esperanza is feeding me and hovering around me tending to my every need. It's been enjoyable." I hesitated for a moment before I continued. "Tomorrow, Raul has agreed to take me to the compound where I was held."

"I don't think that's a good idea, babe. Not much left to see there anyway. Raul was with me the night I rescued you. He was supposed to create a diversion so I could get in and get you out without detection. He started a fire that got out of hand. Part of the compound was a lab where they were manufacturing some type of methamphetamine they distributed locally. The entire place went up in flames. The problem became getting out alive, not just undetected, but we made it."

"I don't remember any of that, Ranger." I said.

No," he agreed, "you wouldn't. You'd just been dosed prior to my finding you. You were unconscious, and judging from the amount of time it took you to return to consciousness, I think you were hugely overdosed. When I found you I picked you up, put you over my shoulder and ran like hell. Raul had a Jeep hidden, but to reach it I had to take you through a narrow stretch of jungle. When we got to the Jeep Raul was sitting in the driver's seat. I hopped in and held you and he drove like a madman. We made a clean getaway and took you to Esperanza and Diego's to recover."

That answered a lot of questions for me. I still felt the need to go and see the remains of the place where I'd been held. I'd asked Raul to take me and he hadn't hesitated to say yes. We knew Goodson and Rivera were not in Costa Rica and I thought it would be safe for me to go to the place of my former captivity. If Ranger said, "Don't go," then I wouldn't. He'd done so much for me that I wouldn't disobey his wishes. I decided to change the subject.

"Finish with your story, Ranger. Tell me the complicated part about Rivera and Goodson."

"Some of what I'm going to tell you is fact and the rest is what we've extrapolated from the facts. Manuel Rivera and his father were not close. He saw a chance to step in and take a large share of the business for himself. He betrayed his father by informing the Russians about his father's increasing dealings with the Chinese mafia. The Russians wanted him dead, and the two factions were on the verge of a war with one another. The Costa Rican government was getting ready to step in and go after Rivera to try to defray the situation. They were acting in conjunction with the FBI."

"Was the FBI working with the UEI?" I asked. There was silence on the other end of the line. "Ranger, are you there? Hello, can you hear me?"

"I can hear you fine, babe. How do you know of the existence of the UEI?"

"Raul," I said. "He and I have had some interesting conversations. I sensed he was involved in something like that the first time we met. He reminds me of a slightly older Merry Man."

"Babe, I don't ever want to underestimate your instincts. Yes, it was the UEI, but Raul is no longer involved with that organization, and until my arrival in Costa Rica he knew nothing of Jorge Rivera. Back to the story, Rivera decided to eliminate his son who'd become a big problem for him. He'd planned to fake his own death when you walked into his life and he made the decision to take you with him. He still would have gotten away with everything if he hadn't shown himself to you at your apartment. It's just a matter of time, babe. We'll find him."

"I wish it would be sooner rather than later," I said. "It's lovely here, but I miss Trenton, and you. Ranger, if you tell me not to go, I won't, but I have a strong desire to see the site where I was held. I think it will help me emotionally."

There was yet another long pause, "Be careful, babe. Stay close to Raul and call me tomorrow after you've been there." More silence.

"Stephanie, I love you." He disconnected.

The next morning, I woke after a restless night of sleep. I hadn't had any dreams, but it was as if they were there hovering, waiting to be let in. The day was overcast in direct contrast to the sunny mornings I'd become accustomed to. My mood was uneasy and I had no explanation for it.

From the moment I entered the kitchen, Esperanza began talking in her nonstop stream of Spanish. She turned to Raul and Diego who were sitting at the kitchen table and then turned to address me. I don't know how she did it without breathing. She came and threw her arms around me squeezing me tight and set a plate of food in front of me. Then she shook her head side to side and left the kitchen to cross the courtyard to the little cabin where I'd stayed with Ranger. She was an elderly woman who seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of energy. I had no idea what she'd said, but I thought maybe I'd just been scolded. I looked at Raul.

"My mother is not in favor of our trip today, Stephanie. She thinks you will be upset and it is her desire that you be happy here."

"I don't want to upset her," I said, "but I think it will help me to be happier if I can just see the place."

"Eat, mi amiga," he said. "It's an hour's journey at least, and we should go and get back early. There will be rain today."

We left a short time later. I was wearing jeans and a stretchy t-shirt and my running shoes. Esperanza had insisted I take a soft shawl. We were in Raul's ancient, but well maintained Jeep that had a roof, but was open to the elements on either side. We rode in comfortable silence with Raul occasionally pointing out something of interest. The road wound through the terrain toward the west and the ocean. We'd still be a good hour from the ocean when we arrived according to Raul. After a time, Raul slowed the Jeep and pulled off the main road onto what was little more than a path beaten into the tall grass. We drove toward the trees that rimmed the back of a small meadow. He turned the Jeep around so it was heading toward the road.

"This is how I left the Jeep the day I helped Carlos rescue you," he said. "We'll be walking the path he carried you. It's not far, only a few hundred meters. There will be a clearing and you'll be able to see what's left of the compound. It's basically just the foundations of three buildings. The building you were being held in was burned the night we rescued you. Carlos came back at a later time and destroyed the entire complex."

"Are we going to walk through a jungle?" I asked, not knowing at all what to expect. He smiled at me.

"It's not a jungle, but rather a forest," he said. "It's not dense and there is a very manageable path. "Come, chica." He held out his hand to me.

As we walked along the path I began to shiver. The temperature was a little cooler under the trees, but we were still close to the equator so I knew it wasn't really chilly. I felt uneasy, the little hairs on the back of my neck tingling. I looked at Raul who seemed to be totally at ease, and told myself to be calm. After a short time we walked into a clearing. The grass was trampled or in some places nonexistent. I could clearly see the foundations of the building Raul had told me about. I sensed no feelings of familiarity. I felt no feeling of closure either. Instead, I had the feeling we were being watched. I looked around and saw no one. The sounds of birds were muted and the breeze was soft and I just wanted to get the heck out of there.

I turned to Raul, "I don't know why, but I feel jumpy," I said, "almost as if someone was watching me. I know Rivera is a long way from here. We have a witness who heard him say he was going to hide out in Philadelphia."

Raul's eyes widened at my words, "What?" he asked.

"We heard Charles Goodson tell Rivera he wanted to go to Philadelphia with him and lie low until the danger was over. Philadelphia is close to Trenton, where I live."

He grabbed my hand and began pulling me back toward the forest. "Hurry!" he said, and he began to run pulling me behind him. We reached the Jeep and got in quickly. I didn't know what was wrong, but I sensed his urgency. He started the Jeep and was accelerating rapidly down the path before I was settled in my seat. "Buckle up and hang on." I did and he wasted no time clearing the path and getting back on the road to San Jose. He reached between the seats and pulled out a satellite phone. Eyes never leaving the road and speed never diminishing, he punched in a number and waited. "Carlos Manoso, and hurry," then "This is Raul Porras. I need to speak to Carlos Manoso and, it's very important."

I was starting to feel like I was in the middle of one of my nightmares. I didn't know what was wrong, but something obviously, horribly, was wrong. Raul cast a glance at me and then began speaking in rapid Spanish. I could vaguely hear Ranger's responses, also I thought, in Spanish. I recognized my name and I heard him say Philadelphia, his tone incredulous. After a short conversation, he disconnected and turned to me. "Stephanie, why did you not tell Ranger that Goodson said they were going to Filadelfia?"

I frowned, "I did, I think." Actually, I couldn't remember if I'd told Ranger or not. "Tank knew," I said. "He was at the hospital with Lula when Maryanne said she heard Goodson say he wanted to go to Philadelphia."

"Stephanie, Rivera's family estate is very close to where we are now. "It's in the town of Filadelfia, Costa Rica, not Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." Suddenly, it was hard to breathe. My heart was beating double time and the feeling of fear and dread I'd been living with in Trenton was back.

22. Plans To Go Home

Raul drove aggressively on the winding road back to San Jose. The traffic was heavy in some areas suddenly becoming sparse in others. He maintained his speed and checked mirrors. I thought he was checking to see if we were being followed. I could help with that, so I turned in my seat and glanced out the back of the Jeep frequently. He was in his zone very similar to the way Ranger drove. I didn't even try to have a conversation. To complicate matters, it began to rain.

After an hour, he reduced the speed and seemed to visibly relax. We were very close to San Jose and I realized he was taking an alternate route back to his parents' pensión. He turned slightly in his seat and said, "I called Ranger. I guess you figured that out."

I shook my head yes. "I realized that's who you were talking to, but I know you know I don't understand Spanish."

"Yes," Raul said. "I apologize for that, but English is not my first tongue and when I'm upset I have trouble finding words." I thought that might be true and it was probably equally true he didn't want me to know what he was saying.

"I explained you felt like we were being watched," Raul explained. "Ranger told me never to doubt your intuition. If you felt it, it was probably so. I told him you were under the assumption Rivera was in the United States because you were told he was hiding in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ranger agrees with me it is much more likely he is in Costa Rica. He still has family in Filadelfia and could be easily hidden."

"I sometimes have what I guess you'd call a premonition," I said. "I'm not psychic or anything like that, but I thought I'd feel a sense of peace when I saw the place where I didn't die. There was no peace, just the strongest feeling someone was watching our every move. I hope this is one time I was wrong."

"Ranger said we are taking no chances," Raul replied. "He is assembling a team and should be in country soon, hopefully by tomorrow. He wants you taken back to Trenton and will be bringing someone along specifically to escort you back. Then he and his team will intensify their search for Rivera and his partner Goodson in the area surrounding Filadelfia."

I accepted this information in silence. I didn't want to be shuttled home to await Ranger's return, but I didn't want to risk being caught by Rivera or Goodson. I'd see what Ranger had in mind when I could talk to him face to face.

"I don't think we were followed," Raul said. "I'm worried that if we were seen we could be tracked by the identification on my vehicle plates. The car is registered in my name and that information would be easy to obtain with the right kind of persuasion. One thing we have going for us is I don't usually live with my parents so my current whereabouts would be unknown."

"Where do you live?" I asked.

"In San Jose, but I have an apartment above my office. I work as a private investigator and sometimes as a bodyguard. My family owes Carlos Manoso a great deal because of the kindness and help he has given Silvio. When I heard of your circumstance I offered my services to help you during your stay."

"Thank you," I said. "I'm grateful, but I feel like I'm being a burden on you and your family."

"Nonsense!" he exclaimed. "I have enjoyed showing you my city. My mother is insistent your stay be uneventful and pleasurable and I'm happy to help with that goal in mind."

"When will Ranger get here?" I asked.

Raul thought for a moment, "It will take some time because one does not just gather a team and come into a country armed to participate in a small war. Ranger has contacts and he will have to use them. I know he has done some work for American organizations that could make it possible to enter the country well armed. He also has connections with the UEI."

I squirmed in my seat. It had been a long morning out and back in the jeep and it seemed to be taking forever to get back to Esperanza's. I need a bathroom break or my bladder was going to embarrass me.

"Will it be much longer?" I asked. "I need to use the ladies' room."

"I'm sorry," Raul said. "I've been taking a circuitous route home because I wanted to make sure we weren't followed. We're very close to my apartment now. I'll take you there. I need to pick up some equipment anyway." A few minutes later, we were walking up the narrow stairway to his apartment. He unlocked the door and showed me to the bathroom. I came out a few minutes later to see him packing a small arsenal into a leather valise.

He looked up at me and smiled, "Just in case. I will be prepared. Are you trained in the use of firearms, Stephanie?"

"I am, but I really dislike guns."

"I understand," Raul said, "but sometimes they are necessary. My mother shares your opinion though, so I'd rather she didn't know what I'm carrying in here."

"She won't hear it from me," I said, laughing a little at my own joke, knowing that I'd have no way to communicate it with her even if I tried.

Raul smiled. "I'd like to leave this entire business of Ranger's arrival a little secret between us. He put great credibility in your feelings. When he heard of the confusion regarding Filadelfia he agreed with me that Jorge Rivera is very probably nearby. We will go back to my parent's home and have a quiet day and when Ranger comes we will let him explain the situation and his plan." I nodded in agreement.

The rain continued and I spent the afternoon watching Latin American novellas and really wishing I could understand Spanish. I thought about finding Raul to translate, but then thought again when I saw how racy they were. Maybe it was better to just guess what they were saying. Raul and his father were attending to the little cabins that made up the hotel and Esperanza was in her kitchen. She was humming to herself and I heard the occasional opening and closing of a drawer, the squeaky hinge of the oven door. It was a nice domestic scene not unlike I might have experienced in my own mother's home. I felt suddenly tired. I wanted Ranger to come and save me. I wanted Rivera and Goodson caught and I wanted to go home. I missed my family, my friends, and my lover. I missed my life. The ringing of my phone interrupted my musing, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the incoming number.

"Hello, I miss you," I said to Ranger.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I am. We didn't see anyone at the compound. I had an eerie feeling, but no one seemed to be around. Raul says he's pretty sure we weren't followed home."

"I think Jorge is near you and I'm counting on Raul to keep you safe. I think it's doubtful he could find you, if he's even looking for you, before I get there, but stay close to Raul and don't take any chances."

"When will you be here" I asked.

"Not today. I'll be staying until this entire thing is wrapped up, but it's taking some planning to make sure we're on the right side of the law in Costa Rica. It's not as easy as you think to capture people in a foreign country."

"I never thought it was easy," I said. "I don't even think it's easy to capture people in Trenton."

"It makes perfect sense Jorge would return to Filadelfia to hide out," Ranger continued. "We've learned quite a bit about the reorganization of his crime empire while we were looking for him. In fact, the people in his organization have split into two factions. One of them is in New York and that is the group working with the Russians. The part of his organization that is behind his prostitution ring is reforming primarily in Trenton, but there is activity in Philadelphia as well. That's why even though we haven't been able to find any evidence of him it was believable he might be there."

"What about Goodson?" I asked.

"I think he's with Rivera," Ranger answered. "When Rivera first concocted the plan to stage his own murder, Goodson realized he was in danger too. He set himself up to be caught and prosecuted. The FBI has evidence that links Goodson to a Federal judge. Its speculation, but based on facts, Goodson's plan was to get caught and be sent to prison by his friend, the judge. The FBI has intercepted many communications between the two men. It seems the plan was to have Goodson sentenced to a white-collar minimum security facility. The judge was to have a handsome payday for his complicity. Goodson got himself bonded out because unfortunately the jail he was staying in prior to the trial wasn't so nice. And by being in prison the United States Government was protecting him from those in the Russian mafia who were trying to kill Rivera as well as him. If Rivera successfully faked his death then the heat would eventually be off Goodson and it would be safe for him to be released from prison."

"It sounds like you've got everything figured out, now you just have to find them," I said.

"Yes, and then figure out what to do with them," he replied. "Goodson is once again in violation of his bond. Jamison Brown would love to see him captured. Rivera is implicated and was under investigation for a number of crimes by the FBI, but he is officially dead. The case on him is no longer active. It's a complicated mess, babe."

"I miss you, Ranger," I said, steering the conversation away from Rivera. "Will you be here tomorrow?"

"Yes," he replied. "I'll be there and Tank is coming with me. He feels terrible that he never mentioned Philadelphia to me. He assumed I knew that Maryanne had overheard the conversation. Tank has no knowledge of Costa Rica so he had no way of knowing there was a Costa Rican town of the same name. He is coming to take you back to Trenton. You'll stay on seven and have round the clock protection until I get back and the situation is finally resolved."

I was grateful for that, but I didn't say it. What came out was, "Well, at least one person will be in prison."

"Babe." He disconnected and I was left to wonder if I'd upset him. I thought about calling him back, but decided to wait until I saw him in person to apologize for my comment.

The rain continued into the evening. I'd been silent and introspective the rest of the afternoon and evening after my conversation with Ranger. I told Raul I had a headache and asked him to explain to Diego and Esperanza that I was going to go to bed early. Raul walked me to the stairs and quietly said, "There's nothing for you to worry about, Stephanie. It's a large city and they don't know where you are, and we don't know for certain they're looking for you." I thanked him for his reassurance and went up to bed.

I laid in the soft bed for several hours listening to the sounds of the night. I was tired, but sleep wouldn't come. I hadn't been too frightened until Raul had tried to reassure me that I was safe. His speaking so matter of factly about it should have calmed me, but it had the opposite effect. I finally drifted into a restless sleep.

For the first night since Ranger and I had become lovers the dreams were back. I was yanked from sleep and sat up in bed my heart pounding. I couldn't remember the nightmare, but it had been bad. My breathing was shallow and rapid, my heart pounding and my hands trembling, and then I saw the man looming over me and I knew it wasn't a nightmare this time. It was something much worse.

I tried to scream, but Charles Goodson's hand clamped over my mouth. He was holding a soft cloth over my mouth and nose and as I tried to draw in air I felt a sickly sweet odor fill my lungs and heaviness descend upon me. I felt my vision going black and then I knew nothing.

23. Bungled in the Jungle

The sun beat down warmly on my back and shoulders and I could hear classic rock blaring from a nearby radio. The fresh smell of salt water filled my lungs. The warm breeze from the ocean sprayed a fine mist of sand over me, my tanning oil-slicked skin making the sand adhere to my legs, but a strange lethargy kept me from sitting and brushing the sand away. I knew if I didn't I'd have a freckled tan and that would ruin the sun-bronzed look I was going for. Sighing, I attempted to sit and remove the sand. A searing pain shot through my shoulders. I couldn't move my arms, and the harder I tried the worse the pain got. That's when I realized I wasn't on the beach after all. I was in a dark room lying on a bed of some sort. My arms were pulled behind my back and tied at the wrists. It had all been a lovely dream and the reality was slowly slapping into me. I could still smell the ocean and for once it brought me no pleasure. Filadelfia was near the ocean and if I was in Filadelfia I was in a world of trouble.

I had good mental clarity that was different from the last time I'd been drugged. I remember staring into the eyes of Charles Goodson before he clamped something down over my mouth. I wondered how he'd gotten to me in the pensión. It might have been possible to get me out without the knowledge of Diego and Esperanza, but Raul was watching for trouble. Raul would have seen or heard something. That led me to the conclusion that Goodson had gotten to Raul first. I had no idea if he was working alone or if he had help. I prayed the Porras were all safe. I couldn't stand the guilt if something had happened to any one of them because of me.

I listened for any sound that might help me figure out where I was. There was nothing but silence. The last time I'd been held captive in Costa Rica, I'd held no hope for rescue. This time I knew Ranger would be looking for me. I had to be focused on that and not let my fear stop my thought process. My plan had to be to stay alive until he found me. That would be my goal. I knew the possibility of horrible things happening to me was real. I had to be strong, smart, and willing to endure what came my way.

As I became more aware of my surroundings, I realized I was lying on my stomach. I attempted to roll over in order to sit up and heard the clank of a metal chain. My left leg was attached to the bed frame. Dang, I thought. I'd just gotten my left ankle healed up. Frissons of fear ran up and down my spine as I remembered the last time I'd been chained to a bed, but I tried to control the rising panic. As my eyes became more accustomed to the darkness, I could discern a wall on my left. I lifted up my head and saw another wall at the head of the bed. That meant the door to the room had to be at my feet or on my right side. I thought there might be a window in the room because I could smell the ocean. The smell was faint and somewhat overwhelmed by the musty smell of the mattress. I had no way of telling how large the room was.

I wiggled my wrists trying to bring back some of the feeling and discovered there was some play in the rope binding them. I continued to wiggle my hands back and forth pulling them apart to loosen the knot. Slowly, I was making progress. The rope was rubbing my wrists raw, but I kept pulling and twisting and was finally able to pull one arm free. I brought my arms forward and used my elbows to push myself up on my knees. I waited for a few minutes massaging my arms and waiting for the pain to end as blood flowed back into numbed hands and fingers. I looked around the room realizing I could see things more clearly now. There was a pale gray light filtering in through a window high on the wall.

With my arms now functional, I set to work trying to figure out how to loosen the bond that held my leg to the bed. The chain gave me enough freedom to stand at the end of the bed. To my amazement I saw I only had to lift the leg of the bed to slide the chain free. Someone's lazy attempt to restrain me was my good luck. I was still attached to the chain, but I was free. I stood on the bed to reach the open window.

All the times I'd climbed out my bedroom window during my teenage years were dress rehearsals for this moment. Without stopping to think, I looped the chain from my ankle over my shoulder and stretched my arms up to the window sill. I was just a few inches too short. Testing the lack of spring in the mattress, I realized the spring would be coming from me. I jumped as high as I could, wincing when my body slammed against the wall and the chain rattled. My hands made contact and I clung to the open window ledge. I pulled myself up, head and shoulders leaning through the window, and hung suspended half in, half out while I scanned the visible landscape. My second piece of luck came when I saw that the window was above a courtyard, which appeared to be at the back of the property.

The courtyard had a small poorly maintained gravel driveway that curved toward the side of the house. At the back of the lawn, the plants were less manicured leading into a dense overgrowth. It looked like a jungle, or a forest as Raul had said. Either way, if I could get out the window and make it that far it would provide coverage for me to hide. I heard the crowing of a rooster and looked skyward to realize daylight was quickly coming. I had to act fast.

I swung my chained leg up and over the window sill. Slowly, as to make as little noise as possible, I let the chain dangle down the side of the building. I swung my other leg out and hung, arms extended. I estimated my drop to be more than eight feet. Sending a silent prayer to the gods of good bone density, I let go. I landed with a thump in a dusty patch at the base of the building. The rattling chain seemed to echo across the small yard and I sat still for a moment waiting for pain to let me know I'd landed badly. It didn't come. I waited a second longer expecting someone to come running around the building. No one came. I picked up the chain and ran for the trees.

Entering the forested area, I took stock of myself. I was still wearing the Rangeman t-shirt that had become my favorite nightwear. The shirt extended halfway down my thighs hiding my red bikini underwear. My feet were bare. Not exactly the outfit I'd have chosen to hide out in the jungle-forest. I've never been an outdoor girl and that's why the stories Lula and I concocted about Ranger's time in the jungle living on tree bark and twigs were so interesting to me. It was totally beyond my experience. Staying alive might mean experiencing the jungle life myself and I was sadly under-equipped for the adventure.

I hadn't gone very deep in the forest, but I didn't think anyone from the house could see me. The house appeared deserted with no light shining in any window. I listened for any noise from the house. There was none, but I realized I was hearing the faint whine of an engine.

I stayed still and low and waited as the sound became louder. A flash of headlights illuminated the rapidly disseminating darkness as a Jeep came around the side of the house and screeched to a halt in the circular driveway. Two men hurriedly got out and entered through the small back door. I could feel my pulse racing as I recognized Jorge Rivera and Charles Goodson.

Without taking time for a second thought, I picked up the chain and ran toward the Jeep. The driver's door had been left open and I prayed the keys had been left in the vehicle. I hopped in the seat and saw with relief a set of keys dangling from the ignition. I fired up the engine, shifted into gear and hit the gas, following the drive around to the front of the property, spraying gravel behind me as I turned onto a narrow road. I turned right which I thought was away from the ocean.

There were shouts and then the ding of a bullet bouncing off the front fender. More shots were fired as I shifted into second and increased my speed. I had no idea where I was headed, but I was putting distance between myself and two men I never wanted to see again. The Jeep began vibrating and the steering wheel was pulling so hard to the right I couldn't keep it on the road. Fishtailing, I skidded and the rear end of the Jeep swung around stalling me crosswise. I pulled the keys from the ignition as I leapt out to see that both rear tires were flat. Either someone was an excellent shot or I'd used up all my luck.

I looked at the keys in my hand and saw there were several that looked like padlock keys. I bent to try one on the lock at my ankle, and then another. Third time's a charm, as my Grandma Mazur said. I left the chain on the roadside and ran barefooted into the trees. I started walking away from the road into the jungle. The growth was dense, but passable. I looked down with each step, terrified of what I might be stepping on. I could see some sort of clearing ahead and I made quiet and slow progress toward it. As I approached the edge of the trees the undergrowth became denser and I looked up to see with disappointment, I'd circled back to the house from which I'd just escaped.

I heard the undeniable sound of a safety disengaging and swung around to come face to face with Jorge Rivera. He was pointing a gun at my head as he walked forward and grasped my arm, dragging me into the openness of the yard.

"Good morning, Ms Plum," he said with the same formality he'd used at our first meeting. "I've spent so much money, effort and time to meet you again. Welcome to my home." The door at the back of the house opened and Goodson came out. He shouted in laughter when he saw me.

"Good job, my friend," he said to Rivera. "You've brought me my prize." He walked toward me and said, "Stephanie Plum, or should I say Lilith, you promised me pleasure that never came my way. I think you owe me." His hand moved so fast I didn't see it. He connected with my jaw and my head rocketed back with a flash of pain so intense I could see it. My knees buckled, but I didn't fall as Rivera had a strong hold on my arm.

"She may give you pleasure," Rivera said, "but I will have the whore first."

"She's been the cause of much trouble for both of us," Goodson replied, "but I'm responsible for bringing her to you. I'll take my pleasure and if she's still alive when I finish, then she's yours." I was standing at the edge of a jungle in an unknown region of Costa Rica listening to two men argue about whom was going to rape me first. I wondered if I threw up on them, would it lessen the intensity of their argument? I thought it was a distinct possibility. I saw movement at the corner of my eye and realized there was someone in the forest. Had Raul found me?

Charles Goodson drew my attention back when he reached for me, yanking me from Rivera's grasp. I stumbled and fell to the soft grass. A foot planted itself in my ribs causing my breath to whoosh out and pain to explode in my chest. Goodson snarled, "Get up!" Rivera's gun swung from me toward Goodson. Slowly, I tried to get up, but this time it was Rivera's boot that pushed me back down.

"Charles, there was a time when we were partners, but I don't think you're still on my team. I don't appreciate your behavior." He raised his gun toward Goodson, but before he could fire, Goodson fell to the ground a red stain forming on the shoulder of his shirt. There had been no sound of a gunshot so it took me a moment to realize he'd actually been shot. Rivera stood stunned as he watched Goodson roll in pain, his arm hanging limply at his side.

"Drop the gun!" came the command from behind us. I reached forward to try to knock the gun from his hand as Rivera looked toward the edge of the forest. A man in camouflage fatigues was standing with gun arm extended, Rivera in his sights. The fierce look on his face and total concentration on his target might have been unnerving to Rivera, but to me it was salvation.

"Ranger!" I croaked with pained breath. For a millisecond, his gaze wavered from Rivera to scan quickly over me. It was enough for Rivera to reach out and grab me up, holding me against him. His gun fell to the ground at his feet as he used both arms to hold me captive.

Ranger said, "Let her go, Rivera, I'm not alone. You won't get far."

"I'll get as far as I need to," he spat back. "You can't kill an unarmed man." Using me as a shield, he began to drag me toward the house. He had one arm around my body, his grip crushing my ribs. The other arm tightened in a strangle hold around my neck. My hands came up in an attempt to remove his arm. I struggled for breath, darkness starting to cloud the edges of my vision. With all my effort, I kicked out at his legs. He stumbled and strained to keep me upright, losing his grip as I fell.

I looked toward Ranger as I heard him say, "I can't kill you anyway. You're already dead." Again, there was no sound of a gunshot, just a quiet whoosh as I looked up to see Rivera's head explode, his body jerking backward as a shower of red rained down. Ranger stood absolutely still, his assassin's weapon at his side.

Suddenly, there were men dressed similarly to Ranger everywhere. A large SUV came around the house. Two men exited and went to where Goodson was still on the ground. They cuffed him and despite his moans of pain, half drug and half walked him toward the SUV. One of them stopped for a moment and met my eye.

"Glad you're okay, Ms. Plum." It was John Mitchell, the FBI agent I'd held responsible for my first abduction. Somehow, I found the strength to give him a little smile. I looked down at myself to see I was spattered with Rivera's blood and I began to trembIe. I looked toward Ranger. He was gone. Turning, I surveyed the entire scene. The tremble turned into body racking, seizure-like spasms. My breath was coming in short rapid gulps. Ranger was nowhere. Taking a step forward, I fought the urge to run. Where would I go, who would I run to?

A shadow fell over me and I looked up into Tank's concerned eyes. He wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and said, "Stephanie, come with me. Ranger sent me to take you back to a safe place." I let him wrap his arms around me and lift me to his chest. He carried me to a compact Jeep and buckled me in. A small army of men remained at the house. Some looked to be Costa Rican police and some had an American look about them, but they were all dressed in nonspecific military fatigues. Ranger was not among them.

Tank walked to the back of the Jeep and returned with a glass bottle of Coke. "Drink this," he said, "you're trying to go into shock and this will help." He held the bottle to my mouth because my shaking hands couldn't. I drank and the warm syrupy liquid burned its way down my throat and settled in my stomach. I felt the effects of the sugar immediately and my shakiness eased slightly. Tank waited until he saw improvement and then walked around the Jeep and got in behind the wheel. We sped off down the road, both of us in a world of our own thoughts.

24. The End of the Beginning

_How does he do it?_ I wondered. Tank could no more be familiar with the roads of Costa Rica than I was.

"GPS," he said, leaving me to wonder whether I'd spoken aloud or if he had some of Ranger's ESP. We'd been on the road for almost an hour and I was starting to think more clearly. The events of the morning were replaying in my mind like scenes from a movie. My thoughts turned backward trying to remember any part of my most recent abduction. With a start, I realized I'd been taken from an occupied house.

"The Porras," I said. "Are they okay?"

"Yes," Tank replied. "We're on our way back there now. Raul remembers seeing Goodson and someone else that wasn't Rivera. They clocked him over the head and when he came to, you were gone and his parents were unconscious. He thinks they chloroformed them as he found a doused rag by the bed. They were all up and around when we arrived about three this morning." I remembered the sickly sweet smell on the rag that had been over my mouth and nose, and I hoped they'd suffered no complications.

"What will happen to Ranger?" I asked. "He killed Rivera to save me. He won't be in trouble, will he?"

"Did you see John Mitchell there?" Tank asked.

"Yes, he spoke to me."

""Well, John Mitchell was representing the FBI and the rest of the men are from an organization that Ranger does extensive work for. There'll be no mention of Rivera's death. As far as the world is concerned, Rivera died in a parasailing accident a few weeks ago. It's true Ranger killed to save you, but Rivera had to die. The U.S. government wanted him taken out. There were no charges pending on him and it was generally thought he'd come back and establish a new identity. It would just have been a matter of time until he was back in charge of his organization. What's left of his group has split into two factions and they are operating out of New York and Philadelphia, hence the confusion with Rivera's whereabouts."

"Where is Ranger?" I asked, not even halfway through my list of questions.

"He's still at the site. He'll be involved for most of the day making sure all loose ends are tied up. The FBI was here to get Goodson. The extradition laws allow for them to take him back to the States. Ranger sent me to take you back to San Jose and make arrangements for our return to Trenton. It's not very often Ranger and I are both gone at the same time. We left Lester in charge and I need to get back." I smiled a little at that thought.

I pulled the blanket around me, looking for the first time down at my legs. I'd apparently been a feast for various creepy crawlies on my little romp through the jungle. I didn't care what Raul said, his forest was my jungle. Tank chuckled, the sound so discordant I shot him a look.

"Am I thinking out loud?" I asked.

"Yes, and I agree. It was a jungle. You did a good job, Stephanie. We were in place and waiting for Rivera and Goodson to arrive from where they were staying, a short distance away. Ranger cheered for you when he saw you come out the window and run for cover."

"You saw that?" I asked incredulously. "Why didn't you rescue me?"

"Because we were barely there and in place. Ranger was going to go in and see if you were inside. We had Intel that you were, but it wasn't the most reliable. Before he could get in we saw you come out of the window and immediately heard Rivera and Goodson coming down the road. We had to hold our position and hope we could get them without you being involved."

I knew there was much more to learn, but I was tired and my mind too full to comprehend anything else at the moment. And the feeling of relief was there. It's a horrible thing to say, but the moment I saw that Rivera was dead, I felt better.

Tank must have sensed my sudden tiredness because he said, "The seat reclines, Stephanie. Lay back and catch a nap. We're still forty-five minutes out." I did as he said, knowing I wouldn't sleep. He reached out his big hand and patted my bare, scraped knee.

"That was a pretty good second-story escape for a girl that doesn't work out. A little time in the gym and you could be downright dangerous." He smiled and I smiled back and closed my eyes, not really wanting to talk.

It seemed only seconds later Esperanza was hustling me out of the car and into her house. We went straight to the bathroom where I stripped and sunk into the warm tub she'd run for me. Obviously, her night-time intruder hadn't done her any permanent harm. Her rapid Spanish served as a balm to my anxieties and although I had no idea what she was saying I listened to her calming lyrical narrative. She left me to bathe and wash my hair and when the water was cold, I stepped out and wrapped myself in the large bath towel she'd left. There was a knock on the door and Esperanza entered before I could respond. She pointed that I should sit on the small bench in front of the mirror and I did. She pulled out a small ceramic pot and began to minister to my bites. I thought maybe it was aloe vera as it soothed the itching and burning almost immediately. Then she found another towel and began drying my hair. She used her hands to massage my head and gently separated the snarled mess of tangles into soft damp curls around my face. She opened the door and looked down the hall. Finding it empty she led me to my room.

I bent and gave her a big hug, my eyes tearing at the thought of her genuine kindness. She saw my tears and gave me a gentle push into the bedroom leaving me to myself for the first time since Rivera found me. I took my time dressing, pulling on my usual t-shirt and jeans. I needed to see Ranger. I needed to feel his arms around me. I went downstairs to find Tank. He was my connection to Ranger and I was willing to bet he'd been in contact with him to let him know of our safe arrival at Esperanza's.

The first person I saw was Raul. He looked up from the chair where he was sitting and rose to greet me. "Stephanie, my sincere apology. I failed you. It was unforgivable of me to allow your abduction. They took me totally by surprise."

"Your apology isn't necessary, Raul. It couldn't have been prevented and I'm so grateful no one here was hurt. You mother is a remarkable woman. You'd never know her night was interrupted," I said, remembering her recent ministrations.

"She is remarkable," he agreed and we shared a smile.

Tank came into the room and asked how I was feeling. "Fine," I assured him. "When will Ranger be here, Tank?"

"Ranger will be staying here at least until tomorrow, making sure the situation is under control. I was going to ask you if you could get packed pretty quickly. You and I can fly back with the FBI,…but you won't be in contact with Goodson," he hurried to assure me.

"You mean, leave before Ranger comes back?"

"Yes," Tank said curtly.

"No!"

"No?"

"No," I said. "I won't go. I don't care if you pull out that satellite phone you've been using to talk to him or if you just don't warn him at all, but I'm not leaving until he does." Tank must have seen something on my face because he didn't argue with me.

"I'm not calling Ranger," Tank said. "I'm sure you have a good reason for wanting to stay and I'm not going to let him try to talk you out of it. This whole mess has been hard on him, Stephanie. And when things are hard for him, they tend to be hard on those around him. He might need you here, but I never said that."

I sat in the courtyard with Raul, helped Esperanza fix lunch, and napped. Time and time again I checked the wall clock in the parlor thinking an hour had passed to find it had only been minutes. Finally, late in the afternoon, Raul came to me.

"Carlos is here," he said. "He's in the same room you were in when you were here previously. I don't think he knows you're here." I thanked Raul and made my way quickly across the courtyard. Without knocking, I pushed the door inward and stepped into the room.

He was still wearing camouflage pants with a dirt-stained, khaki-colored t-shirt hugging his muscular chest and arms. When he heard the door open, he swung in one fluid movement pulling a gun from the back of his pants and pointing it with absolute steadiness at my chest.

"Hi," I said tentatively, holding my hand out to him. He ignored it, letting his arms drop, holding the gun at his side. He stood unmoving.

"What are you doing here?" His tone was flat. There was no babe, or Stephanie. Just a stark question.

"Everything," I said.

One eyebrow rose almost imperceptibly above opaque eyes that drew in light from the room and reflected nothing back. This was beyond a blank stare. Something was frozen in him.

"I told Tank to take you back." Again, his voice was flat, emotionless. "Where is he?"

"He's gone," I said softly. "I refused to go." This was a man I'd never seen before, but it wasn't a man I didn't know.

I slowly walked to him. He stood still, unmoving, not reaching for me and not looking away, but not really seeing me either. I repeated my answer, "Everything. You said I was everything to you. You don't send everything you need home." I reached up and ran my hand along the edge of his jaw letting my fingers trail downward, resting my hand against his chest. I leaned forward and brushed my lips over his. He smelled like the ocean and the jungle with an earthiness that bespoke of a day outdoors, and I was certain there was a hint of Bulgari.

The gun clattered to the tile floor. He moved quickly, sliding his hands under my shirt pulling it up over my head. His hands went to the waistband of my jeans and worked the zipper and he backed me to the wall. He moved his body into me, forcing a thigh between my legs. His lower body began thrusting, grinding against my pelvis. He brought his mouth to mine, his kiss harsh, his tongue penetrating. Teeth were pushed against lips and I could taste blood, his or mine. His hands cupped my breasts, thumbs teasing my nipples. He let one hand drop to the waistband of his pants fumbling with his fly in his haste.

I twisted my head, drawing in a deep breath. From my previous experiences, I knew Ranger to be a generous and passionate lover. This side of him was new to me and I wasn't sure what to expect, but I wasn't afraid. I softly whispered, "Carlos, I love you."

He stilled for a moment, drawing back from me and I saw the first hint of awareness creep in. "Babe," he whispered.

He picked me up and laid me on the bed, covering me with his body. He wrapped me in his arms and buried his face in my hair and I felt the first of the deep silent sobs rack his body. I ran my hands softly up and down his back, lying there while his personal storm raged. Slowly, he regained a measure of control. He pulled back and I saw eyes that were no longer blank, but overflowing with pain. "I'm sorry." It was said softly and with heart-wrenching anguish.

"Why are you apologizing?" I asked.

"Because I was going to use you, babe. I was going to assuage my anger at Rivera and my fear of losing you to him. I lost control." He heaved himself up off the small bed and turned to leave the room.

"Ranger," I called, fear in my voice, "Don't go. Wait." I struggled to get off the bed. He came across the room and bent to brush the gentlest kiss across my lips.

"I'll be back before the evening meal, babe, and we'll talk." And he was gone.

25. The Final Forty-Eight

I fell back on the bed, alone and very confused. The room where I recovered from my drug overdose was at once familiar and foreign. I remembered the strong hands turning me on my side when I was nauseous, and I remembered the strong arms that held me through the night as my muscles cramped and my body trembled. I remembered the shared passion in a kiss and the abrupt way he left me that day. Suddenly, I was back in the present, recalling the abrupt way he'd just left. He said he'd be back before supper and I knew he was a man of his word. I wanted to talk about what had just happened, but I'd have to be patient and wait for his return.

For the first time in a long time, my thinking position led to a nap and I awoke to find the room shadowed in the dim light of dusk. I quickly got up and went to the door intending to head back to the main house. As I left the room, I looked across the courtyard though the lighted kitchen window. I saw Ranger deep in conversation with Esperanza. Her hands as usual were flying about punctuating her words. I stood and watched mesmerized by the intensity of the conversation, and the seriousness of Ranger's expression. Finally, curiosity got the best of me.

I walked slowly across the flowered courtyard, stopping outside the door where I could clearly hear every word they were saying. Unfortunately, it was all in Spanish. Ranger's words were curt, uttered almost despairingly and for once Esperanza's tone was soft and I thought maybe encouraging. He listened intently to her. He responded and I heard my name roll off his lips with a small smile. Ranger looked up mid-sentence and caught sight of me. He came across and pulled me into the kitchen, switching seamlessly into English.

"Esperanza has set us a special table in the garden for dinner, babe. Are you hungry?" I was confused. I was sure they hadn't been discussing dinner, but I answered the question honestly.

"Yes, I am." I looked down at my jeans and t-shirt. I felt wrinkled and mussed. "Would I have time to freshen up before we eat?" I asked. I looked at Ranger who was still in fatigues and a t-shirt. He spoke again to Esperanza and then turned to me.

"Dinner will be ready in twenty, babe. Go freshen up." He gave me a soft push toward the stairs and as I made my way up, I heard the conversation continue. I sorted through my clothes. The night was too humid for jeans so I changed into a simple sundress that fell in soft folds around my calves hiding the worst of my bites and scrapes. I brushed my hair and added a new coat of mascara.

Twenty minutes later, I came down the stairs to find Ranger waiting for me. His hair was damp from a recent shower and pulled back into his usual ponytail. He wore a soft white linen shirt and a pair of faded jeans. His eyes met mine and he stared at me with a solemnity I found disconcerting. His hand was at the small of my back as he propelled me toward the open door to the courtyard.

"We'll eat, Stephanie, and then we'll have a conversation that is long overdue." My step faltered. What now, I wondered. Surely I wasn't going to have to hear the 'I don't do relationships' diatribe all over again.

"No, babe. You'll never hear that from me again."

We ate quietly in a small gazebo at one end of the courtyard. Our dinner service was efficiently taken away by Esperanza who patted Ranger on the shoulder before she left us to the fragrant night and the conversation he'd promised.

"You must be exhausted, babe." He reached out and took my hand in his. "Your day was not normal even by your standards." I looked to see a small smile playing around the edges of his mouth. Ranger was teasing me. Was this the same man who'd held me at gunpoint earlier in the day?

"It could hardly be considered a normal day for you either," I replied.

"Not as unusual as you might think," he said quietly. I wasn't surprised by his statement. I knew Ranger's life was spent vacillating between routine times in Trenton and darkly secret trips into the wind. Today, I'd seen those trips weren't without a high cost to his peace of mind.

"Are you in trouble?" I asked, "For killing Rivera."

"I was under contract to remove the threat of Jorge Rivera. That was part of the original contract in exchange for information regarding the location of your captivity the first time Rivera got you. I'm not an assassin, but I am licensed to kill when necessary."

"Like James Bond?" I asked my eyes wide.

"No."

Ranger was sitting across from me at a candlelit table. The gazebo was draped in netting to keep the insects out and it was one of the most romantic settings I could have imagined. We were discussing killing people.

"Ranger, I have lots of questions. Will you answer them for me?"

"If I can, babe, and then I…" he hesitated, took a deep breath and continued. "I have a question for you." His expression was serious and I was afraid of what I was going to hear, but it was now or never I thought to learn what had been going on.

"How did they find me, Ranger?"

"Raul is well known in certain circles. He worked for many years as a member of the UEI. He was a major force in controlling the drug trafficking in and around San Jose, and this entire region of Costa Rica."

"Do you remember that you felt as though someone was watching you the day Raul took you to the compound where you'd been held?"

"Yes."

"We think it was Rivera, but now we'll never know for sure. Jorge Rivera was known to Raul so it stands to reason Rivera may have recognized him. It may have been as simple as having you and Raul followed back into San Jose."

"But why did Goodson come for me?"

"Rivera was supposed to be dead, babe. He is from this area and known to many. He couldn't risk being seen." Ranger reached across the table and lightly ran his fingers up my forearm. I shivered at the contact, but I refused to be sidetracked.

"So he sent Goodson to do his dirty work?"

"Goodson was his friend and Goodson had as strong an interest in you as did Rivera. You were wanted by both men, Stephanie."

"Yeah," I snorted. "I was wanted by both men so badly they stood and argued about which guy was going to rape me first."

"I heard that conversation. That's when I knew it was time to act. Stephanie, I have been in tight situations all over the world. Many times my ability to control my emotions and do the task at hand, no matter how heinous, has saved lives. Today, when I saw Rivera with a gun to your head, my control evaporated. The only thing that kept me functional was knowing I had to disable both men to save you. After I shot Rivera, I looked at your face. You were horror-stricken. I couldn't deal with the pain I'd caused you at that moment. I lost it. I told Tank to take care of you. Then I went into the jungle to help round up the rest of Rivera's staff who'd scattered when the UEI appeared. I couldn't bear to see what I'd done to you."

"Ranger, you didn't do anything to me. Rivera and Goodson are the ones who terrified me. I needed you, and neither Tank nor I wanted him to be your substitute. The pain started for me when I couldn't find you."

"I'm sorry, babe. I wasn't in my right mind. I don't know if I can explain it, but I'm going to try." He stood from the table and turned away from me.

"I never invited you into my life, Stephanie. You just came. It started the night you called me to release you from the shower rod. You stood naked before me with no coyness and waited for me to unlock you. I walked away from you that night and that was my first mistake."

I sat silently listening. I wasn't sure how I felt about what I was going to hear. "The second mistake was sending you back to Morelli. I'd made love to you all night long in an attempt to satisfy my need for you. I knew we couldn't stay together. It was too dangerous."

"Dangerous for you?" I asked. Ranger swung around, facing me.

"Of course not for me! I have enemies, Stephanie. I couldn't bring you into my life where you would be a target for them. You never would've seen the inside of my apartment if you'd waited for my invitation. I had no intention of ever bringing you there. Once you were there I couldn't imagine not having you there again."

I was getting angry. "If this nice romantic evening is your way of telling me that even though I'm 'everything' to you, you don't do relationships, then stop now. I can't hear that again."

Ranger came to me and pulled me from my chair hauling my body against his. "Shut up, Stephanie, and listen! I'm not telling you I can't do relationships. I'm trying to tell you the thought of losing you today made me non-functional. I'm trying to tell you the only way I can exist is to have you with me always. I'm trying to tell you I love you and ask you if you will marry me." His mouth found mine in a crushing kiss that sent little electric jolts throughout my body. My arms came around his neck and we stood tasting each other and taking comfort from the contact for a few minutes or an hour. I didn't know.

He pulled away from me and said, "I want you to marry me here, in Costa Rica. I don't have a clue what kind of a life I can give you. I don't know what my future will bring. I just know I want you in it. I need to have you with me."

My head was reeling. To say I was shocked was an understatement. I'd thought he was trying to put space between us, not propose.

"Do you remember Jane Davis?" he asked me.

"Yes," I said, momentarily confused by the direction of the question. "The lady from the consulate?"

"Yes. I went to see her today. She is helping me get the necessary paperwork. I went to see Father Frisco, Esperanza's confessor. He has agreed to marry us in two days on the Feast of the Virgin. There is a belief in Costa Rica that couples who marry on the feast day will have a long, happy and fruitful marriage. If you say yes we will be man and wife in forty-eight hours." I was silent for a moment, savoring the gift that had been set out before me.

"I realize this is sudden," Ranger said. "You only left Morelli a short time ago. If you want to think about it, then…"

"Yes." I said.

"Yes, you want to think about it?"

"Yes, I want to be your wife."

We made our way from the gazebo and ambled toward the room near the back of the courtyard, stopping to kiss and caress, making our short journey a wonderful path of anticipation for what was to come. As we stopped at the doorway, Esperanza came rushing across the courtyard, her rapid stream of Spanish immediately drawing Ranger's attention. I heard her say Carlos and I thought I heard Estefanía. I looked up at Ranger. He was looking at Esperanza in astonishment.

He opened his mouth to say something to her, and then closed it. He tried to speak again, but was interrupted by another burst of precision-fired Spanish directed straight at his chest, her finger reinforcing her words as she pushed it against him.

"What?" I asked, concern evident in my voice.

"She says," Ranger said disbelievingly, "that in her house there will be no relations before the wedding. Father Frisco has agreed to marry us and we will not possess each other in intimacy before professing our vows before God on the Feast day."

My laughter rang out across the courtyard. In the last few weeks, I had been given forty-eight hours on two separate occasions to make decisions that would change the course of my life. First, Joe had given me forty-eight hours to choose between him and my job. After Vinnie's death, Dickie had given Connie and me forty-eight hours to make a decision to buy the bonds office or sell it to Rangeman. I reached up and kissed Ranger on the cheek, and walking across the courtyard I looped my arm in Esperanza's as we walked back to the house.

"What's another forty-eight hours to wait for paradise?" I asked a stunned Ranger.

I slept soundly. I thought I would lay awake all night, my mind swirling with the past day's events. I was out the minute my head hit the pillow. There was no nightmare, but a dream. The details were vague, but I remember a sense of peace descending quietly covering me like a soft blanket. In my dream, I sat up in bed and looked to the corner of the room where a man dressed in black sat, motionless, watching me. Slowly, he rose and came to me, his hand ruffling my curls and then he was gone.

I awoke to sun streaming in the window and jumped from the bed to answer an urgent call of nature. Making my way around the bed, I struck my shin on a chair that was pulled from the wall to the edge of the bed. I remembered my dream and smiled.

26. Married Life

I was alone in the bonds office. Connie was at lunch and Lula hadn't made an appearance yet. It wasn't one of Grandma's filing days. The sun shone through the window of the bonds office and reflected off my engagement ring throwing prisms of light into all corners of the room. A little thrill of realization skittered up my spine every time I remembered the day Ranger placed the ring on my finger. It may have been a short one-day engagement, but it was a perfect day. The platinum band behind the diamond ring also gave me intense pleasure.

Ranger and I met in Esperanza's kitchen that morning. She'd just finished frying homemade donuts and both Ranger and I indulged. Ranger's sugar-dusted lips kissing mine after breakfast still ranks as one of my all time favorite memories from Costa Rica. Ranger and sugar all rolled up into one erotic connection.

We left the little pensión that morning and went shopping. I was amazed to be standing in front of Tiffany's when our taxi let us out in the middle of the shopping district. It was the first time I realized I'd have to pick my battles with Ranger. I would have settled for simple platinum bands, but he insisted on a diamond engagement ring. What I felt for him was so special, so far from ordinary, a diamond seemed almost a cliché. When he slipped the ring on my finger and his eyes met mine I knew it was special. It was the ring he'd picked out for me and from that moment I cherished it. It was a visible sign he wanted me and a reminder of all our ups and downs leading to that point. The platinum band he slipped on my finger the next day was a promise we would weather future ups and downs together.

Despite all the horror I endured there, I found I had many good memories of Costa Rica. The best of them all was marrying Carlos at the Cathedral on the Feast of the Virgin.

It was a national holiday, widely celebrated. The church was filled with people there to start the feast day offering prayers to the patron saint of Costa Rica. The businesses and banks were closed nationwide as this feast ranked only behind Christmas and Easter in its importance.

Ranger and I took our place with the other worshippers. My ballerina length dress was ivory lace and my hair was a mass of cascading curls. Ranger wore a blue linen suit and he took my breath away. I had a small bouquet of orchids that had been cultivated in Esperanza's courtyard. The Porras family sat behind us and the sound of Esperanza's clicking rosary beads helped calm my anxiety at being in a foreign church. The last Mass I'd been to was Vinnie's funeral and I made a silent vow to join my mother and grandmother more frequently on Sunday mornings.

At the end of Mass, Father Frisco motioned for Ranger and me to come forward. Ranger's hand squeezed mine as I walked up the steps to the altar. I wondered if I would know when to say "I do." I also made a silent vow to learn Spanish.

I needn't have worried. Father Frisco spoke to the congregation in Spanish, but when it came time to exchange our vows he spoke in English and before I had time to be nervous I was Mrs. Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Ranger bent down and kissed me softly, his eyes dark with emotion. My eyes were bright with unshed tears of happiness and I thanked my lucky stars I had packed my waterproof mascara for the trip. When Father Frisco presented us to the congregation, they applauded.

I was thousands of miles from family and friends, but I was with my lover and my future. We walked down the aisle hand in hand on a fragrant carpet of rose petals that were part of the feast day celebration, but which I will ever remember as being just for Ranger and me. There was a photographer who snapped pictures of us as we left the church.

On the steps of the cathedral Ranger turned to me and said, "What about a honeymoon in Trenton, babe?" I nodded my assent and we were on our way home within the hour.

We were met at the airport by Tank and Lester. They obviously had been informed of our news. Tank gave me a big hug and Lester bent me over backwards to plant a 'cousinly' kiss full on my lips. Ranger separated us with a scowl directed toward Lester.

"Welcome back, Stephanie," Tank said. "Lester and I are in separate vehicles. You guys can take the Porsche back and we'll stay here and deal with the luggage."

"Don't bring it to seven," Ranger said. "Make sure everyone knows from the minute the door closes behind us we are offline until further notice. I don't care if the President calls, we are not to be interrupted." My eyes widened. The President calls Rangeman?

"Not usually, babe, but I want you all to myself." He looked at Tank. "I mean it. No unexpected visits from my family, Stephanie's family, Ella, no one!"

"Do you want me to post a guard?" Tank asked sarcastically. They did a fist bump handshake and gave each other a man hug and Ranger and I left to find the Porsche that Tank had brought to the airport for us. It became apparent we weren't heading straight to Haywood. I shot a questioning look at Ranger.

"We're going to your parent's house, Stephanie. I want them to know we're married and that I will be part of their life from now on. I want them to know they will be part of our lives as well, but not for the next forty-eight hours." I smiled at that.

"Do you think you have the stamina to last forty-eight hours with me?" I asked teasingly.

"Babe."

The usual Burg radar that let my mother know when I was near did not fail. I saw her standing in the doorway as Ranger pulled the Porsche to the curb. I waited until he came around to my door to open it for me. I was putting off the meeting with my family as long as I could.

Ranger walked right up to my mother and held out his arms. "Give your new son-in-law a hug, Helen," and speechlessly she did. We entered the house and Ranger took control, calmly telling every one of my time in Costa Rica and my second abduction by Jorge Rivera.

"It was then I realized I couldn't go another day without Stephanie in my life in some permanent way," Ranger said. "It may seem like a selfish act to marry her away from friends and family, but I wanted the special blessings of being married on the Feast of the Virgin." He explained the legend associated with weddings on the feast day and won my mother and grandmother over completely with his next statement.

"We, of course, want a big reception, where our families can get to know one another and the community can celebrate with us. Could you plan that, Helen? Spare no expense, I'll take care of everything and I want it to be special for Stephanie." I saw my father do an eye roll and my eyes rolled to the back of my head as well. He was asking for all kinds of trouble, but I realized he was making this gesture to ensure a good start with my family and I loved him all the more for it.

We went from my parent's house to seven where he picked me up and carried me across the threshold. That was where all tradition stopped. I used to be afraid of my reaction to Ranger, although I did my best to hide it. I knew his sexual experiences were far beyond mine and I was afraid he was too much man for a traditionally raised girl from the Burg. Those thoughts crossed my mind once again as I looked at the fire burning in Ranger's eyes, but then I remembered this man loved me and I knew I was in for the time of my life. By the time we got to the bedroom, we'd left a trail of clothes marking our path.

The first time was fast and passion filled and I sent a little prayer of thanks heavenward for the Esperanza enforced celibacy. The second time was slow, languorous and passion filled and I sent a little prayer of thanks heavenward for Carlos. I've been sending those prayers heavenward ever since.

The door to the bonds office burst open with a strong force causing it to bang against the wall, snapping my thoughts back to the present. Lula was huffing and puffing with such intensity as she crossed the room I was afraid she was about to hyperventilate.

"What's wrong," I asked.

"How much longer is this newlywed crap gonna last?" she asked. She slammed a body receipt down on the desk and wiped the sweat from her brow."

"What's wrong, Lula," I asked again.

"What's wrong is Tank don't want Ranger to leave you here without your man so he's going in the wind instead of Ranger. What about me? Who's gonna help me bring in all these low-life skips?" I didn't know what to say. It was true, in the three months we'd been married Ranger hadn't had to leave. I didn't think Ranger would shirk his responsibilities for any reason, newlywed or not. I made a mental note to ask my husband about Tank's being in the wind.

"I don't know anything about that, Lula. I'm sorry if Tank has to be gone."

"Well, I guess he won't be gone too long," Lula conceded. "You'll just have to be my back-up till Tank comes home. It's just that this here bounty hunting job is a lot more fun when he's around, if you know what I mean." I smiled. I did know what she meant.

The door opened again and Connie breezed in. "Hi, girls. I'm sorry I took so long for lunch. Dickie and I had a nice talk. We decided to quit seeing each other socially."

"Oh no," Lula and I chorused simultaneously. Connie and Dickie had been a pretty consistent twosome since shortly after Ranger and I were married.

"Oh, it's okay," she said. "He asked me to marry him and I told him he'd have to quit being our attorney due to conflict of interest. He withdrew the proposal. Our business is too important to him. He's made a small fortune off us since you and Ranger married. He's done a good job with all the contract signings and beneficiary paperwork. Apparently, he'd rather have that income instead of me."

"The Dick proposed," I asked astonished.

"Yeah," Connie sighed, "but he didn't really mean it. He was just trying to get me into bed."

It was Lula's turn to be astonished. "Wait a minute. Are you trying to tell me you been dating Dickie over three months and you ain't done the nasty?"

"Nah," Connie said. "I remember how bad he was to Steph. I didn't want to get involved. I just liked all the money he was spending on me and all the nice places he took me, and I enjoyed his company, but I never thought he was 'the one'. It's really okay. I got a date with someone else lined up this evening."

"Who you going out with?" Lula asked. "Anyone we know?" Connie hesitated.

"No, I don't think you know him. It's our first date tonight and I wouldn't mind leaving early today to get ready." She looked over at me. "This guy has potential."

"Go ahead," I said. "I can handle it here. I don't mind at all."

"Well," again Connie hesitated. "It's John Mitchell."

My head shot up, "Where?" I hadn't seen the FBI agent since that day, in Costa Rica.

"No," Connie said. "He's not here. It's who I'm going out with tonight. John Mitchell."

"I didn't know you knew him," I said.

"I met him when you were being held by Rivera the first time and then I ran into him last week, and well, I sorta cheated on Dickie."

"Can you cheat on someone if you're not doing the nasty?" Lula asked. We all thought about that for awhile.

Connie took the rest of the afternoon off. I cut a check for Lula's body receipt and she went shopping. Once again, I was alone in the bonds office and my thoughts turned back toward my husband. We were still newlyweds, still learning about each other's habits. It had been an adjustment for both of us, living together. The food part had been easier than I expected. His whole 'the body is a temple' philosophy seemed to rest on his shoulders well, and except for an occasional "That stuff will kill you, babe" he made no comment about my dietary habits. In return I'd started running in the mornings. Not very fast and not very far, but my consistency seemed to please him. I liked pleasing my husband. He was very good at pleasing me!

The opening of the door to the office and a shadow falling across my desk drew my thoughts into the present for the second time that day. I looked up to find Joe Morelli filling the door. He was smiling at me and instinctively I stood and moved toward him. We hugged, and I laughed as he swung me off my feet and twirled me in a circle before setting me back down. We grasped hands as we separated from the hug and stood staring at one another.

"You're back!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah," he said. "I missed you and I wanted to stop in and see you. You look great." His hands tightened on mine briefly before he turned me loose. I felt his fingers brush over my rings and his right hand closed over my left bringing it up to his face. "And you're married!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," I said. "For three months now. I thought maybe you'd heard."

"I just got back and I wanted to come see you before the Burg grapevine had a chance to get started. I haven't even seen my mom yet. There was something I wanted you to hear from me. I thought I had a big surprise for you, but you had a bigger surprise for me. Three months? That happened pretty soon after I left."

There was no accusation in his voice, just interest. So I told him about the second abduction by Rivera and Ranger's rescue of me. I told him Rivera was dead and Goodson was in jail without bond awaiting trial. "We decided to get married in Costa Rica and then come home and face the family. They've been surprisingly accepting." I said.

"Cupcake, I came right to see you because I have big news I wanted you to hear from me. I'm getting married."

Once again, we hugged. "Joe, that's great. I'm happy for you. Is it someone from your undercover assignment?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "We had to portray ourselves as a couple and when it was time to come home we realized we wanted to stay together. She's a cop for the NYPD, but she's resigning to move to Trenton. Her name is Judy and I want you to meet her as soon as she's in town."

"You're marrying a cop?" I asked, thinking that she wouldn't fit into his housewife mold.

He must have read my thoughts because he sheepishly said, "Yeah, well, she won't be working as a cop here in Trenton. She's going to hand out her shingle as a PI. She's nothing I thought I wanted, Steph, but it's right. We're good together."

"I'm happy for you, Joe." I found to my surprise it was true. We'd both traveled far in a short time and it pleased me that we could be here talking.

"She's moving down in a couple of days. Maybe we can do lunch at Pino's next week." We laughed, both of us envisioning the stir we'd cause to the local gossip mill by having lunch at Pino's. Joe, me and the new fiancé, all sharing a pizza.

"There's something more I have to tell you," he said. I waited while he gathered his thoughts. Was Judy pregnant, I wondered. I could see whatever he was going to say was making him uncomfortable. "It seems that Judy has plans for her PI office, and…" he was now looking really uncomfortable.

"Joe, what is it?" I asked.

"She's going to get licensed here in Jersey and she's also going to do some skip tracing work to help jumpstart the business."

My eyes widened and slowly the laughter built within me. It started with a little giggle I tried unsuccessfully to stifle. After the giggle popped out, it was followed by a snort and then a full-fledged laugh. When Ranger walked in, unexpectedly, a minute later, he found Morelli standing with his hands on his hips looking pissed off and me clutching my sides, tears of laughter streaming down my face.

Ranger looked from Morelli to me and said, "Babe?"

I gasped for air and managed to gasp out, "Morelli's getting married…to a bounty hunter." I collapsed in my chair, still shaking with laughter reaching for a tissue to wipe my tears away. Ranger turned toward Morelli and held out his hand.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks," Morelli muttered. "I don't know whether to offer you congratulations or my sympathy." He shook Ranger's hand and shaking his head he turned and left the office.

I stood and walked to my husband, my arms going around his neck. I kissed his jaw line with feathery soft kisses that caused his head to dip and take possession of my mouth with his. We stood kissing for a few moments when Ranger pulled back. "Babe, if you keep that up, we're going to have to christen Vinnie's office." I walked to the door and locked it. I flipped the sign from open to closed and led him into Vinnie's office, closing the door behind us.

My life had gone through big changes in the last few months. Seeing Morelli had made me realize just how far I'd come. Seeing Ranger staring at me with hunger and anticipation in his eyes made me realize how much I was looking forward to the changes yet to come.

In forty-eight hours, Joe would have a new roommate. I sighed when I remembered the changes forty-eight hours had wrought for me personally. My attention focused back on the man so intent on removing my clothes, and I knew all my forty-eight hour decisions had brought me to this point.

It was much later in the afternoon when we unlocked the bonds office door and Ranger left to go back to Haywood. I looked around the office and smiled, thinking we'd come a long way, Ranger and me. Wherever our paths took us in the future, we'd travel the road together. I didn't know if children would be in our future. I didn't know how I would handle it when Ranger went into the wind again. It was just a matter of time.

My thoughts turned toward Joe again. Maybe I'd call Jamie Brown and see if he needed any help with bond enforcement. I'd do what I could to help Joe's new bride. It was a strange twist of fate that I was no longer a bounty hunter. Excepting my occasionally lending a helping hand to Lula, that part of my life was over. I didn't miss it. I was happy in my new role of Bonds Office owner and wife of Batman.

The weekend was coming up. Maybe I could kidnap my husband and add a new forty-eight hour memory to the list. I grabbed my purse and locked up early, heading for home and making plans.

A/N: I wish to thank several people whose help made it possible for me to write this story.

jago-Ji: You are so careful not to step on my ego when you offer suggestions. I am _**very **_grateful for all your help and humbled by your talent.

batman40: Your reviews and PM's kept me going through parts of this story I didn't like at all. Chapter 2?

Financebabe: Your answers to my financial questions really helped me with my storyline.

Mik N'jirnav: Your forthright telling of your experience with your personal Jamie Brown was very moving to me. It meant a lot that you shared your story.

And to everyone who reviewed, even those who PM'd me to spare me the public humiliation of their censure, I am so thankful for all your input.


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